Happily Southern

Flower on Baby's Bum

2011-04-30T00:51:00.000-04:00

A recent project that I thought turned out pretty well... Definitely made me realize that I WILL be able to make diapers for J when he grows out of the ones he wears now. The diaper went to a friend who is cloth diapering her 18 month old and her tiny newborn. I was a bit surprised at how well it fit little L and I really need to sew the other one I cut out.

Have you made your own diapers? Any tips?

Signing Time Sale!!!

2011-04-19T23:30:00.000-04:00

Signing Time is celebrating reaching 10,000 fans on facebook and their 10th anniversary... with a HUGE sale. All individual dvds are $10 each... saving $12 off the regular price of $22.

Our first introduction to Signing Time was through Timberdoodle, a homeschool resource catalog. We requested the first dvd from our library and not only did J pick up on the signs, but everyone else did as well. Rachel's method of teaching makes it easy to remember the signs and use them. Every dvd includes a song (usually more than one) that incorporates the words that she teaches and if you watch closely you can pick up another couple signs to use as well. Signing Time was one of J's favorite movies to watch while he was in the hospital on chemo. His favorite Signing Time? That would have to be 'Happy Birthday to You' that he received for his sixth birthday in December.

We highly recommend the Signing Time dvds. They are an excellent way to learn sign language and folks who are deaf are thrilled when someone tries to communicate with them using ASL.

Just remember the sale only lasts till Wednesday, April 20th at 11:55pm Mountain Time.

This is not a sponsored post... we just really like Signing Time and would love for more people to be able to use ASL to communicate with people like J.

Water Kefir Grains

2011-04-07T22:46:00.000-04:00

Wellness Mama is hosting a giveaway for Water Kefir Grains from Cultures for Health.... Water Kefir is a great substitute for soda (not quite like soda, but tastes yummy!) and it's good for your gut. Check out the giveaway and enter... Ends April 15th.

CSN Stores Review

2011-03-14T15:11:00.001-04:00

It's no secret around our home that I like Flirty Aprons. In fact, I've found the best place to get them. CSN Stores carries Flirty Aprons for $30-$35 for the women's aprons, compared to $45+ other places.

B has been begging me to get her a Flirty Apron... preferably in time for her 11th birthday. Then I got a email from CSN Stores asking if we would be interested in working with them again. We agreed. J helped to pick out the Very Cherry apron for B and we placed an order. The package arrived about five days later. B was thrilled to open her Flirty Apron on her birthday morning and I love that she isn't borrowing mine any more!

Even Momma has one! She doesn't often enter giveaways, but after I won my Flirty Apron, she mentioned that she wanted one in Sassy Black and searched for Flirty Apron giveaways. I won another apron from Mom's Best Bets and kept it a surprise till Christmas. Since then, my other two sisters have said they'd like a Flirty Apron as well.

I love the Frosted Cupcake apron... and four other colors as well. I've found that the Flirty Aprons are very well made and keep my shirts clean. They also add a great feminine touch to a outfit.

CSN Stores also carries aprons for men, little girls, and more aprons for women. After all, who doesn't need more aprons! Not to mention, they ship very quickly. If you aren't interested in aprons, check out the swingsets, cloth diapers (They are now carrying AMP Duo Diapers), dining tables, etc... there is definitely something for everyone!

Sponsored by CSN Stores. The statements within this post are 100% our own and honest opinions.

Laly Kids

2011-02-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

Momma in Flip Flops2 is hosting a great giveaway for a $15 gift certificate to Laly Kids Etsy Shop. Laly Kids sells hair bows, shoes, etc... all for very reasonable prices too.
Why not head over and enter this great giveaway?

Rumparooz OS

2011-02-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

One of the diapers on my list to try, is a Rump*a*Rooz. I love the idea of double gussets and I can really see how handy they'd be to have in a diaper.

Monkey Tales is hosting a giveaway for a Rump*a*Rooz OS in the winners choice of color from Happy Baby Co. Head over and check it out! Ends 2/20

Wordless Wednesday - Kitty Snuggles

2011-02-08T23:29:00.000-05:00

For more WW visit Go Graham Go, Jolly Mom and the WW HQ.

Raffle for Coupon Mommy of 3 (Ends 2/28)

2011-01-24T21:41:00.000-05:00

This giveaway has been put together by Melissa at Fabulous Family Reviews and Giveaways. This huge raffle is for a fellow blogger. Shannon's (Coupon Mommy of 3) three year old daughter, Emily, was recently diagnosed with stage IV cancer. Although I do not know Shannon personally I have seen her constantly helping businesses and other bloggers by promoting them and asking nothing in return. I am reposting the giveaway here to help spread the word and get all the donations that we can to help Coupon Mommy of 3. All entries are going to the same place.

This is all for little Emily

You can read about Emily's story here.
Shannon's blog
Shannon's Facebook page
Shannon's Twitter

Here are some important details:

To enter this giveaway a mandatory $5.00 ($5 = 1 entry) donation is required. All money is going directly into Shannon's paypal account. Click here to donate.
For every $1.00 over the $5.00 mandatory entry you receive another entry. Ex. donate $10.00 and receive 1 entry for the first $5.00 and 5 more entries for the other $5.00, total would be 6 entries.
Must be 18 or older to win.
This giveaway is open to US and Canada. However some sponsors are not able to ship to Canada. In that case I (Melissa from Fabulous Family Reviews & Giveaways) will be the go between and have the items shipped to me and then I will ship to Canada.
Sponsors and bloggers ARE allowed to enter. Fabulous Family Reviews & Giveaways will be the only one with access to the entries therefore they will not be eligible to win. Everybody else is fair game.
You MAY win up to TWO packages. If random.org picks you twice I will allow it but if you are lucky enough to be picked a third time then it is somebody else's turn to win.
If you are a sponsor or blogger and you win the item you have donated it will be separated from the prize package and be raffled off via random.org as a single prize to all other entrants.
If you have any questions at all please email Melissa from Fabulous Family Reviews & Giveaways at fabulousfamilyreviews@gmail.com
Feel free to comment on this post but it will not count as an entry unless you fill out the giveaway form posted below.
If you have not entered a giveaway from Fabulous Family Reviews & Giveaways before it's really simple. Just fill out the form and add up your entries at the end. ALL entries will be verified.
Here is a Link to all Sponsor's websites, Facebook pages, Twitter pages, and blogs.
You also get an extra entry for following all participating blogs on Google friend connect, twitter, and 'Liking' them on Facebook. So be sure to hop around all blogs below for up to 3 extra entries for each participating blog.

Click on the ChipIn Widget below to donate. After you donate Click HERE to fill out the entry form. If you have any questions at all please email Melissa at fabulousfamilyreviews@gmail.com

Thanks!!!!

Now on to the fun stuff!! The prizes you can win!

Cloth Diapering Package #1

FuzziBunz one-size diaper from Wee Little Changes
Small wetbag in either cars print or vines print (winners choice) from Green Bumkin

1 gender neutral diaper from Mud Butt Cloth Diapers

Bag of Rockin' Green from Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper Detergent
Fitted diaper, winner's choice of in stock diaper or a custom one from Wee Expressions

$25 Gift Certificate from Sew Crafty Baby
Limited Edition diaper (only two of a kind!) from Knickernappies

Wool Longies (boy or girl colors) from Babee Greens
Diaper kit including The Champ diaper, wipes, wet/dry bag, and pail liner from GoGreen Pocket Diapers

$15.00 Gift Card to the The Fruit of Her Hands

2 Little Bundles from AppleCheeks
$5 gift card from HootHootBaby

Cloth Diapering Package #2

Limited Edition diaper (only two of a kind!) from Knickernappies

$5 gift card from HootHootBaby
bumGenius 4.0 onesize pocket diaper from Jennifer's Cloth Diaper Boutique
Go, Baby, Go! 14" X 12" Hot Pink wet bag with orange and lime stripes from Gina Turella Garcia- Go, Baby, Go! Independent Consultant

2 size Medium gPants, a bag of gRefills and a package of gCloth from gDiapers

$10.00 gift certificate to The Ginger Kid

Happy Heinys OS Snaps Puppy Print from Cute N Fluffy Cloth Diapers
$15.00 Gift Card to the ali AND swan

6 pack of organic prefolds with 2 covers and a roll of biosoft flushable liners from Bummis
Wetbag from Prairie Tales, LLC
LolliDoo Diaper Anonymously donated
Bag of Rockin' Green from Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper Detergent
Fluff's Enough donated a set of Tree Huggin Momma's fleece liners. (*Not pictured)
1 size Medium BabyKicks Hemparoo Joey-Bunz PREMIUM donated by Life With My Littles (*Not pictured)

Cloth Diapering Package #3

Pack of 6 Charlie Banana 2-in-1 eco-diapering system from Charlie Banana
24 oz bag of detergent from Eco Sprout

Cloth Diapering Package #4

Good to Go package from SoftBums

Baby Package

Pacific Moby Wrap from Moby Wrap
Key Fob from BabyBug Creations
Carnival bloom bib & burp cloth set from Designer Bub
Aden & Anais Diwali - Bamboo Muslin Swaddles 3 pack from Kelly's Closet (DiaperShops.com)
Winner's choice of hat from SweetPeas An Bumpkins
Custom shoes, size and print from Clothbaby.org
Fabric covered wipes case from BabyBug Creations
(1) pair of Rock-a-thigh baby socks in winners choice of color from All American Baby Boutique

Custom diaper/wipe case from BabyBug Creations

Gift Basket - Items will include some crinkles, loopies, soakers, reusable lunch sacks, cloth wipes and some baby balm from Hen House Creations (*Not pictured)

Toddler Package

Musical Gear Center toy from Playskool
Toddler Pillow from BobbleRoos

Custom appliqued shirt/onesie from Tiny Toe Creations
Winner's choice of ERGObaby carrier and color choice from ERGObaby

$25.00 Gift Card to The Head said

10 Handmade Birthday invitations of any Disney Character from Moms Saving Money

1 green children's edition of the i like book
$15 gift certificate to EcoMom
Denim apron from Five Talents Boutique

Girls Package

Custom tutu and matching flower clip from Little Miss Posh
Two girl style pair of BabyLegs from Mom 4 Life
Size 3T dress (pictured) from Cute Factor
Pink & white korker from Lily's Bowtique
$25.00 Gift Card to The Head said

Mom's Package #1

1 BEADtastic book bling from Bouncing Woolies
Pair of FUNKtastic dryer balls (design will vary) from Bouncing Woolies
Wool car freshener (colors will differ, without beads) from Bouncing Woolies
A batch of french pressed soap for the winner from Beck, The Crazy Housewife
$20.00 Gift Card to Homestead Emporium
Necklace from Avon anonymously donated
Wrap-a-Nap winner's color choice from Wrap-a-Nap
2 - $5 Amazon gift cards anonymously donated
Corn/therapy pillows, facial-sized with flannel cover from Delaynie Cooper Designs
Sewing Instructions/PATTERNS/ Tutorials from 2 Teens and a Toddler Boutique

Sewing Instructions/PATTERNS/ Tutorials included:

-Shopping Cart Cover (Single)
-Rag Quilt Blanket
-Boppy Nursing Pillow COVER
-Crayon Roll
-Ring Sling
-I Spy Bag Toy
*Theseare for a sewing pattern only, the items pictured are NOT included.

Mom's Package #1

5 - 8x10 original photographs by Samantha Shuman (Fresh Samantha)

Scentsy Warmer and bar of Scentsy from Independent Scentsy Consultant ~ Lisa Marie
You Go, Girl! Scentsy Bar from Adventures in Abby Land
Pin from Avon anonymously donated
A basket full of bath goodies made by a 7 year old little girl (with help from her Mommy.) Wash Away Cancer (Beck, The Crazy Housewife)
Wrap-a-Nap winner's color choice from Wrap-a-Nap
4 EasyLunchbox containers and 1 EasyLunchbox cooler bag, winner's choice of color from Easylunchboxes
Corn/therapy pillows, regular sized and one facial-sized with flannel cover from Delaynie Cooper Designs *This is just an example, fabric will differ*
1 couples edition of the i like book

Boba Carrier

Boba Classic 2G, winner's choice of color from Boba Baby Carrier

BabyLegs

$50.00 in BabyLegs products

Sleepy Wrap

Classic Sleepy Wrap, winner's choice of color from Sleepy Wrap

Advertising Package

Enter to win ad space on multiple blogs (more blogs are participating in this than pictured - complete links to come soon!) ** I just wanted to note the winner for this package will be drawn last. So if you win this you will not be taken out of the running for other prizes. I know many individuals will enter the giveaways and might not be so interested in this package. However it would be super cool if you are an individual that wins it and you donate all the ad space to your favorite shop(s)! It would be a great way to pay it forward! **

Disclosure: I nor participating bloggers received any monetary donations or item donations for this posting. This is a charity event and all money goes directly to Shannon Hubbel of Coupon Mommy of 3 for her families unexpected medical expenses, travel expenses, and time off from work. This is being done out of the goodness of our hearts. ♥

AppleCheeks Giveaway

2011-01-23T14:49:00.001-05:00

AppleCheeks is having a Let's Beat the January Blues giveaway on their blog with 6 winners. Head over and check it out. Ends 2/3

AppleCheeks

2011-01-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

Size	Size 1 - Small	Size 2 - Large
Pounds	7 - 20	18 - 40
Rise	11 - 15	13 - 19
Waist	9 - 22	14 - 26
Thigh	5 - 12	6 - 13

Made in Canada

pricing:
Envelope Covers: $18.95
Bamboo Inserts: $8.75
Bamboo Doublers: $3.75
Waist Extenders: $7.75
Swim Diapers: $18.00

Sprout Change

2011-01-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

Waist:	13 3/4"-23 3/4"
Rise:	8" - 18"
Thigh:	4" - 13 1/2"

Made in the USA

Pricing:
Snap Shell: $16.95
Booster Pack (3 changes): $32.95
Organic Booster Starter Kit: $48.75
Organic Super Saver Starter Kit: $33.75
Super Saver Inserts (6): $27.95 - $33.95

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas at the Beach!

2011-01-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

Wee Why, Meeeee?

2011-01-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

Gorilla Playsets - Blue Ridge Mountaineer Swing Set

Just the other day, we were going to town for J's speech therapy appointment and J asked if we were going to 'wee why' (swing slide). J loves swing sets, so he often asks to go. At our local library, there is a park just across the parking lot and we try to make it out there to play sometimes. The slide is the biggest hit for J. The little girls usually head for the swings and race to see who gets highest first.

CSN Stores has some great swing sets. J sat on my lap while I was browsing the website and 'Ooo'd and Ah'd' at all the slides.

This play set looks great. Especially with the covered slide. It also offers the opportunity for J to build his gross motor skills with the rock wall and rope ladder.

What's your favorite swing set? Do your children like going to the park to play?

sponsored by CSN Stores.

Sprout Change Winner!

2011-01-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

Out of 721 entries, Random.org picked number 330 as the winner.... which is: JustCorey who won by following Happily Southern via google friend connect.

Congratulations JustCorey! I love our Sprout Change diaper and I know you will too. In fact, J has put it to quite the test the last few days and it held everything in... (compared to other one of his diapers that blew out. Ugh!)

The winner will be emailed shortly and has 48 hours to respond. If not, a new winner will be drawn and notified.

So tell me. Did you like the google docs for entering? I have to say that it was easy to set up... but definitely took longer counting every entry manually :*)...

$15 GC to Abby's Lane

2011-01-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Luv My Two Girls is hosting a giveaway for a $15 gift certificate to Abby's Lane. Ends 1/20

2-pack Lil' Joeys

2011-01-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

Monkey Tales is hosting a giveaway for a 2-pack of Lil' Joeys from Diaper Junction. I'd love to get some Lil' Joeys and it's a great chance for you to enter to win too. Not to mention you get to pick the colors too. (Ends 2/1)

Sprout Change Giveaway

2011-01-11T21:56:00.000-05:00

Baby Makin(g) Machine is hosting a giveaway for Sprout Change. Sprout Change is introducing 3 new covers and they are looking for names. I can't wait to see what they come up with. Head over and enter.

Don't forget to enter our current giveaway for a Sprout Change diaper and insert.

Rumparooz OS

2011-01-07T01:17:00.000-05:00

I Love Cloth Diapers is giving away a Rumparooz One Size diaper. Ends 1/7

KaWaii Baby OS Pocket

2011-01-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm That Mommy is giving away a Dark Blue KaWaii Baby OS Pocket Diaper (ends 1/15). Mandatory GFC follow.

SoftBums OMNI

2011-01-06T23:06:00.000-05:00

29 Diapers is giving away a SoftBums OMNI diaper (Ends 1/9)

More Giveaways!

2011-01-04T18:13:00.004-05:00

Mom to Bed by 8: Bumbleride Indie Stroller. Ends 1/31
Mom to Bed by 8: $100 gift certificate to ATGStores.com. Ends 1/14
Mom to Bed by 8: $250 Visa gift card. Ends 1/11
Mom to Bed by 8: Knork Flatware 20 pc set. Ends 1/12
Mom to Bed by 8: Emile Henry Pizza Stone. Ends 1/8

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-03T13:35:00.011-05:00

Belatedly wishing everyone a fantastic 2011! And for those who like to celebrate by entering giveaways, here are a few for your enjoyment. Have fun!

Arizona Mama: $10 gift certificate to GoGreen Pocket Diapers. Ends 1/15
Dirty Diaper Laundry: BabyKicks 3g. Ends 1/10
Dirty Diaper Laundry: Ragababy Easy AIO. Ends 1/3
The Eco Chic: FuzziBunz One-Size Hemp. Ends 1/11
Thanks, Mail Carrier: Zooper Hook-On Chair *5 Winners*. Ends 1/7
Thanks, Mail Carrier: $20 gift certificate to Collections Etc. Ends 1/7
Thanks, Mail Carrier: Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories prize pack, including a box of Cheerios, 5 books and a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. Ends 1/7
Thanks, Mail Carrier: $75 gift certificate to CSN Stores. Ends 1/7
Thanks, Mail Carrier: Melissa & Doug Wooden Railway Set. Ends 1/14
Thanks, Mail Carrier: $100 gift certificate to Amazon.com from JoeShopping.com. Ends 1/14
Thanks, Mail Carrier: Shenzhen Ceramic Knives Fruit and Vegetable Set from Shenzhen Knives. Ends 1/21

image credit: Webshots Blog

Sprout Change {Review & Giveaway} Ends 1/13

2010-12-28T21:18:00.001-05:00

Quick Summery: Sprout Change-a one-size AI2 that fits from 5lbs-45lbs. Made in the USA by a WAHM who has a child with Down syndrome. Hidden adjustments for a true one-size diaper.

Sprout Change is a one-size diaper with hidden adjustments. It fits from 5 - 40 pounds, although I honestly think it will fit most children up to 45 pounds. When we first started using cloth, I thought a AI2 meant a PUL cover (that you could wipe out) and a insert. With most other AI2's that we've tried that hasn't been the case. We've successfully wiped out the cover and used it again.

Pros: truly re-usable; doubles as a swim diaper; reversible-different colors to go with different outfits; fits a larger child; excellent price; holds diarrhea well.

Cons: insert doesn't seem to work as well for a larger child; would be easier to adjust the button settings if there was numbers.

An additional thing that we thought of was that the cost savings would be even greater if the cover was reversible for boy/girl or solid/print.

On the newborn setting:

On the Walker/Potty setting: (with a Super Saver and a BabyKicks hemp insert)

Since starting cloth, I've had my top two favorite diapers for traveling. Sprout Change tops them both. It's so much easier to dump the wet prefold or insert into the wetbag and lay in a new one. Definitely saves on diaper space too. Which is wonderful, since we can really use up space!

Many stores carry The Willow Store products, but I hope to see many more carrying them in 2011. If J decides he's ever interested in potty-training, we'll definitely look into training pants. As well as the waist extenders! y

WIN

Catherine has offered one(1) Happily Southern reader Sprout Change Starter Kit.

Links: The Willow Store

Facebook

Twitter

Giveaway ends January 13th, 2011

Enter Here

A big THANK YOU to The Willow Store for providing the giveaway and review items! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

A New Record!!!

2010-12-18T02:47:00.060-05:00

I love new records. Particularly this one. I'm sure some of you are pretty tired of me continually saying that J has another diaper rash. I am too.

Today we hit a new record. Over 48 hours without a diaper rash! It's been over six months since this all started. And ya' know, I could get used to this. No battling to change a diaper, no screaming, no bleeding raw spots, no crying baby, no... you get the idea.

We were going though 2- 4oz tubes of Walmart's version of desitin a day. Basically Then I saw a post by Fitteds and Pockets and Snappis, oh my! that reminded me of her Mailbox Mondays posts. So I asked if she had any suggestions for diaper rash creams/salves. She mentioned three we hadn't tried... so, we got them.

Boudreaux Butt Paste

It was the first one we used and while it seemed to clear up the rash for a couple changes, it came back. So we moved on to the next one.

Triple Paste

It was really thick and worked okay at night, as long as we changed his diaper every couple hours... which we were already doing. It worked only so-so during the day. No big improvements.

Earth Mama Angel Baby: Angel Baby Bottom Balm

I didn't have high hopes for this one. While we do use a fair amount of herbs, I hadn't noticed that they worked too great for diaper rashes... and this was an 'herbal' salve and I was sure it wasn't going to do a thing... none of the more powerful creams had helped. But... it worked. His raw cheeks healed over and didn't bleed, it started to look pink instead of a fiery red... It almost looks normal!

J likes the balm too. So much that he's been getting into it and rubbing it all over his hands and arms. I don't mind. It's much better than all the other creams he was getting into and rubbing on his hands and all over his changing table. But, it was a two ounce tub and it's almost gone now! No one is complaining about the tea tree oil smell though. I think they've gotten use to it!

Thank you Maria for your suggestions!!!

Cozy Kids

2010-12-18T01:44:00.000-05:00

Ramblings is hosting a giveaway for Cozy Kids One Size Pocket Diapers ...with four, yes four, winners. This great giveaway ends tomorrow (Sunday) at noon, so why not head over for your chance to be one of the lucky winners?

SaSa Originals

2010-12-15T15:45:00.000-05:00

Mama Days is hosting a giveaway for Joey the Giraffe plush rattle from SaSa Originals. All the animals in SaSa Originals shop are so adorable. Why not head over and enter this great giveaway? Ends 1/11

Kolcraft Contours Options 3-Wheeler Stroller

2010-12-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Kindred Spirit Mommy is hosting a giveaway for a Kolcraft Contours Options 3-Wheeler Stroller during her baby event. Why not head over and enter this great giveaway! Ends 1/7

Mami's & Papi's

2010-12-15T12:22:00.000-05:00

Biehl Adventures is hosting a giveaway for a $15 gift certificate to Mami's & Papi's. Head over and enter this great giveaway!

Dream Diaper Package

2010-12-15T12:08:00.000-05:00

Biehl Adventures is having a raffle for a cloth diaper Dream Diaper Package to help raise money for her brother and sister-in-law's adoption. It ends today, but please hurry over, donate to enter.

AMPdiapers

2010-12-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Biehl Adventures is hosting a giveaway for a Duo Pocket Diaper from AMPdiapers. Why not head over and enter this great giveaway?

Tiny Tush Sale

2010-12-12T19:38:00.000-05:00

Tiny Tush is having a Buy 5, Get 1 Free sale for their Elite One Size Pocket Diapers... and they're also sponsoring a giveaway at Liz Has A Life... It's easy to enter. All you need to do is spread the word of the sale Tiny Tush is having and leave a comment with the link. Why not check out the sale?

29 Days of Christmas

2010-12-12T19:12:00.000-05:00

29 Diapers is having a 29 Days of Christmas fluff event. Each giveaway only lasts 24 hours and they're on day 17. I was really surprised to win day 11's giveaway: a Mommy's Touch diaper cover from Crunchy Angel Boutique. I love reading Laura's blog... it's one of my two go-to blogs for cloth diapering questions. If you don't already read her blog, you should.

Cloth Diapering.... #FAIL???

2010-11-24T00:03:00.001-05:00

Is it a #Fail when you don't bring enough cloth diapers to last you through an unexpected overnight stay at the hospital? So tell me. Was it?

J had his g-tube out on the 15th and I was thinking we'd be home that night. It was around 9ish, when his surgeon came out to tell us he was done. Then he said that J would need stronger antibiotics than he was previously anticipating. (Oops... forgot about those.) We could give him the antibiotics at home OR we could stay overnight and get IV antibiotics that wouldn't give him a diaper rash.
He also mentioned that J had a bad diaper rash. I was surprised since it looked excellent that morning. In fact, when I changed his diaper after surgery, it looked even better than it had that morning. So, that was a bad diaper rash?!?

We didn't have enough diapers for the entire stay and used pull-ups. It turned out good, since J decided that if you can't eat, apple juice works. He drank approx. 20-4oz boxes of juice Monday afternoon/evening.

We arrived home late Tuesday and guess what??? Yep, J has yet another diaper rash! I wonder what his surgeon would think of this one.

My Twinn

2010-11-21T15:08:00.000-05:00

HappilyDomestic is hosting a giveaway for a My Twinn Doll Gift Package. With My Twinn, you can even get a custom doll and dress her and your daughter with matching outfits. My Twinn has some adorable 'dressy' dresses that C, our little princess, would love!

Do you have a special little girl would would love one? Head over and enter this great giveaway! Ends December 3rd.

All I Want For Christmas Is My.... Cloth Diapers event

2010-11-21T14:22:00.000-05:00

A FLUFFY Christmas event is heading our way. All I want for Christmas is my... Cloth Diapers event with Coupon Mommy of 3, Arizona Mama, The Mommy Times and Maddy's Cloth Diapering Momma.

Head over to their blogs to see about snagging some extra entries into the giveaways.

CSN Stores

2010-11-21T14:13:00.000-05:00

A Mom's Impression is hosting a giveaway for a $45 gift certificate to CSN Stores. CSN Stores carries Flirty Aprons among many things. I've received several hints from one of my sisters that she'd like to have a Flirty Apron for her birthday.

Do you want to shop at CSN Stores? Head over and enter this great giveaway. Ends December 5th.

Snuggly Puppy Pillow Pets

2010-11-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

A Mom's Impression is hosting a giveaway for a Snuggly Puppy Pillow Pet. We have one that everyone loves, but J usually claims it. In fact, he's laying on it right now, drinking milk and watching Zorro.

Do you want one? Head over and enter this great giveaway. Ends December 5th.

random.

2010-11-13T23:57:00.009-05:00

I'm not sure what to title this post, except for random... J aka Bonzo (if you seen Bedtime for Bonzo and you know what mischief Bonzo gets into... that's the type J's been getting into this last week) is having surgery Monday. His g-tube that he got 4 1/2 years ago, when he was 18 months, is finally coming out for good. Lord willing, of course.

But.... Someone has a sense of humor. I am NOT a morning person. So yesterday, surgery called to say... 'showtime is 6:30am'. What fun. [sigh] We're leaving tomorrow afternoon and returning sometime Monday afternoon. I still don't have anything planned for meals. I need something that is easy, portable, gluten, dairy, sweetener (except for fruit), pork and soy free. Oh, and we need to have the ingredients. Any ideas? :-)

Santa Claus with the youngest three.

Last week, J, C, and B got pictures with a friend who is also a Santa Claus. I stayed home to make dinner and play catch-up in the laundry room with my other sister.

J got into a king size Sharpie marker today and colored a 5' x 2.5' area on our parents' bedroom wall. He signed his art with a flourish. Z after Zorro. If he could have found a stool, he'd probably have decorated higher up on the wall. Sounds like painting will be in order.

Tonight I'm sitting up washing diapers (because I'm planning on taking our new diapers from Wee Bonnie Botts that she customized for J. They are WONDERFUL diapers. I ♥ bamboo!), baking 2- 9x13 and a 4-5 quart pan of brown rice, and a 16 qt pot of corn for masa. Moong beans are on the counter sprouting for stir-fry on Monday. And the 19- 2lb packs of ground venison in the freezer are part of the evidence of what I got done today. Now, if this aggravating cough would just go away and stay away.

Yesterday evening, I made a dessert, a variation on buttered rum baked apples that stayed within our current dietary restrictions. I suppose the proper name would be coconut bourbon baked apples. Because you make do with what you have or you do without. They turned out delicious, but there are still some changes to be made before we call it done.

I just noticed that there have been 15151 page views on this blog... I know, totally random. ;-)

You know, I think hamburgers, green beans, gingerbread cake, sauteed onions, and blueberries with coconut milk will do just fine for the trip. Now to mix up Sunday breakfast: pumpkin pie custard. Yumm.

Summer Infant

2010-11-10T01:50:00.000-05:00

Monkey Tales is hosting a giveaway for a SwaddleMe blanket and SwaddlePod from Summer Infant during her Mommy & Me event. I love swaddling and think this a great idea. Head over and enter... Ends 11/15

$75 GC to CSN Stores

2010-11-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

Another giveaway from WAHM Resource Site. This time, its for a $75 gift certificate to CSN Stores. We bought J's crib from there and always enjoy browsing the website. You can always find something new there! Head over and enter... Ends 11/11

Glencara Irish Jewelry

2010-11-09T23:12:00.000-05:00

I came across this giveaway hosted by WAHM Resource Site for a $50 gift certificate to Glencara Jewelry. They have an amazing selection of celtic rings, pendants, earrings and more. This would make a great Christmas gift for a wife, husband or family member. Don't wait! Head over and enter... Ends 11/14

Christmas, shopping, and Overstock.com

2010-11-09T21:38:00.002-05:00

Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? Well, neither can I. It seems to sneak up on me every year. Particularly last year, when I did all my Christmas shopping on the 23rd. Yikes! This year, I planned ahead and did all my shopping back in early October.

Recently though, I've been looking for a few other things that various family members have mentioned. J has some favorite old television shows he loves to watch. Walt Disney's Zorro is one of them, but they're pretty expensive and usually out-of-stock... I've thought of looking for them during Cyber Monday sales... and looked on Overstock.com, but while they don't have Zorro, they have some of the other ones J enjoys for less than I've seen elsewhere.

If I do decided to do some shopping during Cyber Monday and the Black Friday Sales, I'll look at digital cameras so I can get pictures without a time delay. Or should it be an armchair so I can blog and enter more giveaways??? in which case I'd need a laptop as well :-)

So, are you planning to shop on Cyber Monday and Black Friday?

If you go shopping at Overstock.com, feel free to use either of these discount codes: 121728, good for 10% off all Overstock.com products or 202234, free shipping promo code for electronics

FTC disclosure: All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.

CSN Stores Gift Certificate Winner!!!

2010-11-04T23:33:00.000-04:00

So much has happened in the last week. If we're friends on facebook, you know that we've been putting up lots of apples. In fact, I am still finishing up canning apple juice and apple cinnamon syrup-jelly. Sadly it's taken longer than I was hoping. And, J isn't sleeping very well... which doesn't help! Seriously, what do you do when you have a almost 6 year old (going on 3) who goes to bed at 10pm, wakes at 12am, 3am, 5am and then 7-8am?

The CSN Store giveaway had 439 entries and the winner is comment #27: ♥ ♥ ♥

27. Attila & Tamara

Congratulations!!! I hope you enjoy your shopping spree at CSN Stores. Have fun!
winner will be emailed shortly and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

Hot Mama Gowns

2010-10-31T21:12:00.000-04:00

Hot Mama Gowns is having a giveaway of their own (ends 10/31) for a gown and swaddling blanket. I thought these looked great after seeing them on My Silly Monkeys during her baby event earlier this year. Why not head over and enter this giveaway before it ends?

AppleCheeks and Monkey Tales giveaways

2010-10-29T15:27:00.006-04:00

AppleCheeks reached 4000 fans on facebook the other day and they're celebrating with a fantastic giveaway... with 3 winners!

Monkey Tales is hosting a giveaway for a $20 gift certificate to WeeLittleChanges... She's carrying the new bumGenius artist series and new GroVia prints that I would love to get.

And a giveaway for a SnoozerDreamWeaver Full Body Pillow. From what Monkey Tales says, it sounds like this pillow would make a great gift for any pregnant or non-pregnant woman.

A $35 gift certificate to CSN Stores. I can think of a large number of things that I'd love to get from there and they have great customer service too.

A $20 gift certificate to Zoolu. It's a new store to me, but they carry some neat toys for children and I particularly like the handcrafted toys section.

Some giveaways...

2010-10-28T03:58:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted about any giveaways... but then, I haven't been entering hardly any. So if you're looking for giveaways... here you go:

Biehl Adventures is hosting a giveaway for a Nifty Nappy fitted diaper. Ends 11/1

Baby Dickey is hosting a giveaway for a Spindle Toy Chest in White from Guidecraft. Ends 11/9

Baby Dickey is hosting a giveaway for a Thirsties Duo Wrap + insert. Ends 11/6

Children Teaching Mama is hosting several giveaways... several of them are for FLUFF!

Bouncing Woolies WINNER!!!

2010-10-24T17:58:00.000-04:00

It's time to draw a winner for the Bouncing Woolies giveaway. I love using ours and I hope to get some of her FUNKtastics to add to my dryer! The lucky person who gets their own 2 FUNKtastics is.....

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
comment #369
169. Shannon (CMo3) said...: I already follow Arizona Mama
Congrats Shannon! I'll be emailing you shortly and you'll have 48 hours to respond or I'll have to draw a new winner.

CSN Stores {CLOSED}

2010-10-18T22:47:00.008-04:00

If you've been reading here for awhile, you've heard me mention CSN Stores. They have over 200 stores and sell dining tables, cribs, kids outdoor tables, etc... Awhile back, I mentioned that we were going to get to review something from CSN Stores. It was a bit of a debate as to what to get and then I won a CSN Stores gift certificate at Jessie's Ramblings. Since J has been sleeping with either my mom and dad or myself since his leukemia diagnosis in 2007, we thought a crib would be a great idea. We bought a Dream On Me Classic 2-in-1 Convertible Crib in Espresso and crib sheets from the Bedtime Originals collection.

After placing the order at CSN Stores, we received confirmation emails and estimated shipping dates. The crib arrived several days before the email stated that it would get here. It was relatively easy to put together. But I'd recommend not trying to put it together yourself with a 'helpful' little person. :-) When we ordered the sheets, I noticed that they were back-ordered and the next day got an email saying the sheets would be shipped as soon as they were back instock. I was pleasantly surprised when they got here much earlier than I was anticipating.

The only thing about the crib that I didn't like, is how quickly the plastic wheels broke. But that was caused by J standing up in the crib and then throwing himself down onto his pillow. Two wheels broke and we took the other two off.
As for the sheets, I'm very pleased. Even though J's diaper has leaked at night, there's been no stains after washing it and the fit is excellent over his sheepskin cover (which is the only way we can get him to sleep in his crib... he likes soft beds, lol!)

Would you like to have a shopping spree at CSN Stores? Caitlin at CSN Stores has offered one (1) reader of Happily Southern a $40 gift certificate to spend at CSN Stores.

Mandatory: Visit CSN Stores and tell me which dining table you like.

***leave your email address in your comment or have it visible in your profile***

Extra Entries:

Follow @HappyReviews on twitter and leave your username
Follow Happily Southern via Google Friend Connect (5)
Subscribe to Happily Southern via email (5)
Share on facebook (1x a day)
Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and CSN Stores (5)
Tweet: (3x day)

"Enjoy a shopping spree at CSN Stores. Win a $40 gift certificate at

@HappyReviews Ends 11/4 http://bit.ly/96s7lb"

Follow "The Mommy Times" via GFC
Follow The Jacobsen Family via GFC
Follow Arizona Mama via GFC
Follow Jessie's Ramblings via GFC

This contest is open to US and Canada and ends November 4th at 11:59 EDT. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email as well as announced on Happily Southern. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen and notified.

A big THANK YOU to CSN Stores for providing the giveaway items! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Fluff Baby Home: a guest post by Crystal Biehl

2010-10-18T22:27:00.001-04:00

Hannah has been so kind in letting me share with you all a little about Fluff Baby Home and our upcoming "Dream Cloth Diaper Package" raffle!

About Fluff Baby Home:

I have been hosting giveaways each week as a way to try and raise money for my brother and sister-in-law's international adoption from Africa. I decided to reach out to the cloth diapering community because they are going to cloth diaper their little boy! (That's right! They are adopting a little boy!) You might wonder how I can raise money by giving things away! Well, if you donate just 1 dollar, you get 25 extra entries into all the Fluff Baby Home giveaways. If you donate $5 or more, you get 50 extra entries into all the giveaways!! So far, we have raised a little over 300 dollars. This is great! The kindness of strangers has been inspiring and humbling. So many of my sponsors have connections to adoptions and/or Africa! It's been such a neat experience!

Since it is getting closer to our goal's end date (December 31), I decided to add a little something extra to try and draw in more donations...And I think it's pretty fabulous if you ask me

About the Raffle:

I am currently building a Dream Cloth Diaper package that I am going to raffle off on my blog! Mandatory Entry will be a 5 dollar donation. Let me tell you, the package is AWESOME! Already, there are 19 diapers in the package--including Nifty Nappy, Bumgenius, gDiaper, FuzziBunz, Applecheeks, Happy Heinys...the list goes on and on! Besides diapers, there's also going to be cloth diapering accessories!! Check it out here.

How Can You Help?

Spread the word!! We have a button you can grab and post on your wall:

Blog, tweet, Facebook about it! It's such a good cause. And I know it would be AMAZING if we could raise $2,000--but honestly, every little bit helps when you have a $30,000 adoption on your plate!

So, think about it--tell your friends, family, church groups....and let's fluff this baby home!
__________________________________________________________________

Thank you Crystal for sharing about Fluff Baby Home with us. I truly hope that you will more than exceed your goal to help bring baby home.

You can also find Crystal at and earn extra entries into the Bouncing Woolies giveaway and another giveaway coming up this week by.

Grabbing the Dream Diaper Package button and sharing about Fluff Baby Home (on your blog, facebook, twitter, etc...) (5)

following Biehl Adventures - her blog (3)
Liking Biehl Adventures or Fluff Baby Home on facebook (3 each)
following @MamaBiehl on twitter (3)
and you can donate to help Fluff Baby Home here. (25)

Let's help FLUFF BABY HOME!

Winners

2010-10-11T23:07:00.004-04:00

We're almost half-way through October and soon, we'll be celebrating the 1 year anniversary of J being off chemotherapy. Hard to believe that a year has already ~~gone~~ flown by.

And now....

Random.org picked comment #12 as the winner for the Eco Nuts giveaway.

12. Cloth Chronicles said...

They also sell sugar scrubs - like the Expresso Sugar Scrub which sounds fantastic!******************************************************** And the Charlie Banana giveaway winner is comment #104

: 104. Madeline - extra entries!!! #4

Congratulations to both winners. Cloth Chronicles, I hope you'll love using your Eco Nuts as much as we have. And Madeline, I hope you enjoy using your new diapers on your baby boy.

Winners will be emailed shortly and have 48 hours to respond before I'll have to pick another winner.

Fluffdom Express: Bouncing Woolies {CLOSED}

2010-10-09T23:15:00.006-04:00

I'm excited to bring you the very last review and giveaway in the Fluffdom Express event. There is still posts to be written with diaper measurements, but I'll get them up... eventually.

Shauna is the creator and owner of Bouncing Woolies. She makes 100% natural wool handmade scented or non-scented wool dryer balls. And you can have your choice of Bare Natural (scented or non-scented, of course), Color Expressions, FUNKtastic, and three limited editions, Frosty's Special, Holiday Special, and Naughty or Nice Special.

We got Bare Natural, non-scented. They arrived beautifully packaged and I got pictures of it. Sadly, that night as I was uploading picures to the computer, I lost them all. There was a little green sheep tag on the bag, that said non-scented. I was amazed at how nice the balls looked. A person-who-shall-remain-nameless was amazed that they couldn't see the other end of the yarn. And picked at it some, but still didn't find the end. It latter came loose while in the dryer and we rolled it back and felted it again. The other ball is still wound very nicely and hasn't come apart.

I've noticed a decrease in how long it takes to dry clothes and diapers. Usually it takes between 80-100 minutes for a load of 22 diapers or so. Even with 2 Bouncing Woolies, it cut the time down to 60 minutes!!!

My little ball snatcher.
J was helping put a load of towels in the dryer and a bit later, I noticed that he was playing with the Bouncing Woolies that were already in the dryer when we put the towels in. He stopped the dryer, after I left the room and dug through the towels to find his "mahs". He still insists that they're "my".

Shauna has offered one (1) reader 2 FUNKtastic Wool Dryer Balls in the scent of their choice.

A big THANK YOU to Bouncing Woolies for providing the giveaway items! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

***Giveaway CLOSED***

winner: Shannon (CMo3)

Lollidoo eco-pockets

2010-10-07T23:38:00.000-04:00

                          Waist: 15" - 25"
                           Rise: 14" - 20"
                           Thigh: 8" - 13.5"

Made in the USA

Where to buy: LolliDoo Retailers

Pricing: ***as of 10/07/10***

Eco-Pocket Diapers with Flair: $30.00

Classic Eco-Pocket Diapers: $24.00

Overnight Eco-Pocket Diapers: $32.00

Flat Innies™ 2-Pack: $10.00

Absorbency Innies™ 2-Pack: $9.00

Wordless Wednesday - Summer Memories

2010-09-28T23:12:00.001-04:00

Hard to believe it's already 'Fall'... by the calender at least. I'm not so sure that it 'feels' like Fall yet, although last night was a bit chilly. What did you do this Summer?

Mommy & Me Baby Blessings Event @ Monkey Tales

2010-09-28T22:58:00.000-04:00

Monkey Tales is have a Mommy & Me Baby Blessings event to celebrating the coming arrival of baby Monkey #2. I'm looking forward to seeing what she will be sharing during the event. Are you excited? She's also offering extra entries that you can get till September 30th. See you there!

Winner!!!

2010-09-27T22:41:00.001-04:00

I'm late picking the winner for the Giggle Britches: Tiny Tush Disposable Liners giveaway. But the computer is finally running a bit faster and I was able to draw the winner. And the winner is comment #383:

383. Nikki said...
I subscribe to Happily Southern via email #4 :)

Nikki, I saw your mandatory comment come in and thought how neat it would be for you to win, especially since you were wanting them. I guess Random.org thought so too!

We just used up the roll of 100 liners we got before J's surgery in June. He's had an ongoing diaper rash for 4 months and I've been so tired of it. We bought a week's supply of desitin and used the liners to protect the diapers. His rash is looking better, but it isn't healed yet.

I'll email the winner after posting this and she'll have 48 hours to email me back with her shipping information. Many THANKS to Giggle Britches for sponsoring this great giveaway!

Fluffdom Express: Charlie Banana {CLOSED}

2010-09-23T22:25:00.001-04:00

Charlie Banana - The one diaper that has it all... okay, except for aplix tabs. But as long as the snaps don't get stuck in the dryer, I don't mind! {smile}

Charlie Banana Size Diaper Is Hybrid.

While traveling, or for any occasional situation the ability to us a disposable insert is sometime necessary. You now have both options. When using Charlie Banana you can use reusable insert or disposable ones. Of course we recommend that you use the reusable inserts most of the time.

They have a One Sized diaper as well as sized ones: XSmall, Small, Medium and Large. Great colors and prints and attractive packaging. Of course, the fact that they also have a sizing guide on their packages for sized diapers is an added attraction!

Charlie Banana is a pocket diaper with the opening in the front. The one-size diaper have elastic that is adjusted with little buttons. On the largest setting for the elastic, the OS diaper fits J well. I asked a friend who also cloth diapers to try a OS on her 15 month old little girl. It fit very well on her, although it was a bit bulky with 2 inserts. She didn't have any leaks except for once when the insert rolled to one side.

There is wider elastic in the back and in the legs, which has been wonderful for keeping messes in. The other thing that is different about the Charlie Banana sized diapers is the three snaps on the tab and an extra snap to cross over for those skinny waisted toddlers. The Charlie Banana inserts also seem to be much more absorbent than our other microfiber inserts.
Another bonus is Charlie Banana makes and sells disposable inserts. These work great for protecting the diapers from any non-cloth-diaper-friendly cream. And for traveling since these are inserts. They're also very absorbent, even with just one.

Their color choices are fantastic also. They have your basic colors including black and they're adding in some prints which are adorable. I'm very excited about Charlie Banana diapers and look forward to see what else they'll add to their great line. Of course, I'm hoping for more of their great pocket diapers in larger sizes and perhaps a fitted diaper as well!

Right now Amazon and Baby R Us are the only places that carry Charlie Banana diapers yet.

WIN IT: Charlie Banana has offered one (1) very lucky reader of Happily Southern their package of OS 2-in-1 diapering system.

***Giveaway CLOSED***

winner is: #104: Madeline

A big THANK YOU to Charlie Banana for providing the review and giveaway items! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Best Bottom AI2

2010-09-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

Waist:	11" - 22"
Rise:	12" - 18"
Thigh:	5" - 8"

Made in the USA

Pricing:
Hook & Loop Shell & Snap Shell: $16.95
Hemp/Organic Cotton Insert: $5.75

Overnight Insert: $6.50

Stay Dry Insert: $3.75

Fluffdom Express: Eco Nuts {CLOSED}

2010-09-17T23:02:00.002-04:00

Our Trial Size

Can you really wash cloth diapers with a "soap nut"?

Let me tell you about one of my two top faves for detergents and why I think they're great for using in a hospital setting.

But first I want to share with you what a "soap nut" really is. Eco Nuts™ are completely sustainable dried fruit shells that come from the Sapindus mukorossi tree in Nepal, India and Indonesia. The ones we harvest come from high up in the Himalayas and are the highest quality "soap nut" on the market.

I'll admit that I was very curious to see how well the Eco Nuts would get the gunkies out of the microfiber inserts. The first time or two, I didn't notice a big difference when I'd smell the inserts. But with each wash after, they smelled cleaner and cleaner. Is it funny that I smell the inserts and prefolds before putting the in the dryer? or do you do it too?

The thing that intrigued me most about the Eco Nuts, is that they are hypoallergenic and no one has ever complained that they cause any diaper rashes.That is one of the great things about Eco Nuts... what are the other good things about them?

In J's many hospital stays, we found that liquid and powder detergents were continually leaking into suitcases and bags. Basically Eco Nuts are dried balls in a cotton bag. And they don't leak all over the place either. You use 5 nuts for 6-10 loads of laundry and just by taking 10-15 nuts that will get you through at least a two week stay. The only thing that was hard was finding the bag in all the diapers!

Don't want to get a whole big box of Eco Nuts? They offer a trial box with enough nuts for 6-10 loads.

Are you wanting to try Eco Nuts? Then here's your chance.

Mona has generously offered for one (1) reader to win their own 50/90 load box of Eco Nuts. (Yes, I'm jealous of the winner!)

***Giveaway CLOSED***

winner is #12: Cloth Chronicles

A big THANK YOU to Eco Nuts for providing the giveaway item! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Winners!!!

2010-09-06T15:17:00.000-04:00

Only two giveaways to close this week. There will be three more giveaways in the event coming up, but I need to find the cord to upload pictures to this computer.

I love using the Better for Babies Little Beetles prefold for J's nighttime diaper. It helps his diaper rashes and J still thinks that he should get to have it for a blanket! Lol! Random.org picked comment #569: CHANY!!!

I was a bit sad that Lulu's in the Fluff is longer doing scents, but their focus is clean and that means scents aren't necessary. I did a glamour sleep on our diapers the other day and they're absorbing a whole lot more today.

The very lucky person to try some Lulu's in the Fluff is comment #444: kristen!!!

Congratulations to both winners! I'll be emailing them shortly and they'll have 48 hours to respond before I'll have to pick a new winner.

Unscramble the Words game

2010-09-03T22:26:00.000-04:00

This week has gone by fast and I've hardly been on the computer. I usually use our laptop, since I have all the pictures for reviews on it. But on Monday, it was running slow and I decided that I should probably restart it. Unfortunately it didn't restart and now, I'm using our desktop computer which runs very slowly. And, so I've not been on except for Tuesday and Thursday nights. I've not been on Facebook at all, so if you write on my wall, I'll respond via email.

I wanted to offer you all some extra entries and since I won't be on to do twitter/facebook trivia. I asked Nancy from Arizona Mama if she could help me out. She very graciously said yes!

1	ealcieesn sdp
2	dwosonnrmyed
3	siotalhp
4	p adtcohelsri
5	fetdtsi
6	nsumeemrtae
7	tonli a wl
8	on i aelnl
9	seffxrm fpseodul
10	uyersgr

After you've unscrambled the words, send your answers by email to fancygrlnancy aka Arizona Mama. And remember spelling is important!!!! I won't close the giveaways ending this Saturday till this Monday, so you'll have till Sunday night to send your answers to her. There is one other requirement though. You MUST leave a comment on this post if you unscramble the words.

If you unscramble the words correctly, you'll get 10 extra entries into each giveaway currently open!

Happy Unscrambling!!! and have a great weekend!

Winners!!!

2010-08-29T16:34:00.001-04:00

Wow! This last week has gone past fast and it's time to draw winners again.

The Mothering Grace giveaway had 1577 comments. I think you all really like AppleCheeks! {smile}. They are my favorite diaper to use and the one I reach for when we're on the road or nighttimes. Random.org picked comment #133 which is:

133. Madeline said... I have your button on my sidebar at www.clothdiapergiveaways.com

Congratulations Madeline! I hope you enjoy and love the AppleCheeks as much as we do. Disappointed you didn't win? Mothering Grace has offered a coupon code for $5 off a order of $75 or more with the code "SOUTHERN" till August 31st. You won't regret ordering from Mothering Grace. Sara is very helpful and will help you get the best thing for you and your child.

Charlie's Soap which cleans an almost, but not quite, infinite number of things... including cloth diapers! There was 714 comments and Random.org picked comment #127.

Debbie C said... I follow on Google Friend Connect. (Debbie C)

Congratulations Debbie! I hope you that you like Charlie's Soap as much as we do, or even better.

I'm really glad that we found Snappis... and I do plan on getting the size 2 as J gets bigger. They're wonderful to use instead of diapers pins and probably a great purchase to make if you are planning on using prefolds. There was 329 comments and Random.org picked comment #186.

186. The Jacobsen Family! extra entries!

Congratulations! I hope that you really like using the snappis for Little Conner's diapers when he makes his appearance.

I really love our wet/dry bag! We didn't have one when we started using cloth diaper, but it's saved the day on many occasions. I do wish that we had known about wet bags back when J was born. There was 1088 comments are Random.org picked comment #875.

75. Chany said... http://twitter.com/chany10/status/22231751554

Congratulations Chany! I hope you enjoy your new wet bag... if you can actually manage to pick a print for it! lol!

CSN Stores has a fabulous selection of items. We recently bought a crib with a gift certificate win for J and it arrived so quickly. There was 334 comments and Random.org picked comment #182. The person who gets a shopping trip to CSN Stores is....

182. Susan - extra entries for diaper measurements!
fourseasonsfarm.....
#4

Congratulations! I hope you get what you are wanting from CSN Stores and enjoying your shopping!

***Winners will be emailed shortly and will have 48 hours to respond to confirm their win.***

Unscramble the Words game

2010-08-28T12:39:00.002-04:00

Can you unscramble these words?

eny aiHsHppy

alrhannCaBie a

smumaB

pBinaabyS p

Tstesrihi

aeismhW

Ptlseiae nW

sseEennercohrN t

taoes errBftiB eb

t aoeGrnceirgMh

l u iuuthlff Fn'eLs

u oNctsE

o'Siapherl sCa

sn BuicloeiWgnoo

eilBh gGstirceg

Can you unscramble the words? If you can unscramble them, email your answers to me and if you got them all right, you'll get 10 extra entries into each giveaway ending tonight. Depending on how many people unscramble the words and email the answers, I'll pick a few by random and they'll get another 10 entries into the giveaway of their choice.

BUT, this extra entry opportunity ends at 11:30 pm EST. So, hurry and figure out the words.

Bump 2 Baby @ Minnesota Mama's Must Haves & J. Leigh Designz. Plus 1st Birthday Celebration @ Children Teaching Mama

2010-08-27T14:52:00.004-04:00

Check out Bump 2 Baby event at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves and J.Leigh Designz. There are several companies that I love that are participating. Why not check it out and snag yourself some extra entries?

I've got my eye on this bedding set from Summer Infant. It would be go with the crib we just got for J from CSN Stores.

Fluffdom Express isn't over yet... We're waiting to hear back from some companies before posting the giveaway and review and for some items to get yet. So hang on!

Children Teaching Mama is hosting a 1st Birthday Celebration for her little boy, Liam's first birthday! I'm excited for this since I'll also be celebrating my birthday in September. (But it's not my 1st however... just thought I'd throw that in for you!)

Fluffdom Express: Giggle Britches: Tiny Tush Disposable Liners {Review & Giveaway}

2010-08-24T10:30:00.001-04:00

***Hi! My name is LeAnn, and I am the owner of Giggle Britches, an online cloth diapering store. I run Giggle Britches from my home located in the St. Louis Metro-East area. My husband and I have been married for
almost 6 years now and have two beautiful daughters. We are expecting our third child in November 2010.

I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and find that I am always looking for more efficient and cost
effective approaches to life's everyday situations. Therefore, shortly after we found out we were expecting our
second child, I began researching cloth diapers. My oldest constantly "blew-out" of disposables as a young
infant, had horrible diaper rashes, and the amount of money I had spent on diapers that were thrown away
made me cringe. Cloth diapers seemed like the logical solution. I started with prefolds, covers, and a few
pockets and have never looked back. I even converted a couple friends into cloth diaper users!***

Can I tell you how much LeAnn impresses me? Although that might take more than one post. Giggle Britches carries many cloth diapers lines and different accessories. One of the accessories that is available is disposable liners by Tiny Tush.

When we knew that J was going to have his ileostomy surgery, we asked several moms what they thought would be good to get. Disposable liners were mentioned by just about everyone. Then it was time to find a good liner that we could flush and didn't cost an arm and a leg. That's when we found the liners by Tiny Tush. There are 100 - 9"x14" sheets per roll for $6.95 and they're safe to flush down the toilet.

They came in really handy during J's hospital stay and many, many times since then. They hold #2's very well and it's very easy to pick up the edges and flush it. Which gives me an idea... I should have my dad use one, whenever I actually go somewhere without J, so I don't come back to a pile of dirty diapers on the bathroom counter.

If you are using rash creams that aren't cloth-friendly, you will probably want to use two liners and and fleece liner for extra protection... because sometimes more IS better! Especially when it comes to protecting your diapers.

They aren't good just as liners though. Recently, J had an appointment with his oncologist for a 'routine' check-up. On the way home, during a stop to change a diaper, we noticed that his g-tube had fallen out. Since yours truly had just cleaned out the diaper bag, we didn't have any gauze with us. Thankfully, in searching through the diaper bag, I found the diaper liners I'd put in a pocket in case I needed them. It worked great and the nurse at the ER was glad it wasn't toilet paper!

If you have lots of appointments or your child is going to hospitalized, then I strongly recommend getting Tiny Tush liners to make life easier for you.

Buy It: Giggle Britches carries Tiny Tush Disposable Liners Package of 100 for $6.95

WIN IT: LeAnn at Giggle Britches has generously offered for one (1) reader to win their own Tiny Tush Disposable Liners Package.

Mandatory: Visit Giggle Britches and tell me something that you'd like to get.

**make sure you have your email address in your comment or visible in your profile**

Extra Entries:

Follow @HappyReviews on twitter
Follow @GigglBritches on twitter
Like Giggle Britches on Facebook and leave them a comment (2)
Tweet about the giveaway

“Protect your diapers w/ liners! #Win a roll from @GigglBritches #Fluffdom Express http://bit.ly/bXjtvv #clothdiapers #specialneeds Ends 9/12" (5xday)

Follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect (5)
Subscribe to Happily Southern via email (5)
Blog about this giveaway and link back to the giveaway and Giggle Britches (5)
Add our button to your sidebar
Add our event button to your sidebar

This contest is open to the US only and ends September 12th, 2010 at 3:00 AM EDT. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email as well as announced on Happily Southern. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen and notified.

A big THANK YOU to Giggle Britches for providing the giveaway item! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Diaper Measurements???

2010-08-24T00:50:00.000-04:00

As the event finishes up, I'm working on a post with measurements for different diapers. And I need your help. I've only tried so many diapers and while I've gotten most of the measurements for them, there are so many more out there that I don't have the measurements for.

So... here's the deal. Measure your diapers, you'll find instructions for how to measure them here, and send me the measurements {happilysouthernreviews at gmail.com} and you can have 20 extra entries to put in one giveaway or divide up and put in several. I'm looking for lots of different diapers and if you can include any info on how the diaper worked for you that would be great also. So measure away mamas!

One more thing, what are your favorite fitteds, prefolds and covers to use? I'm looking into getting J some more since his rash seems to clear up and stay away longer when he wears them and am interested in your thoughts.... I also heard during tonight's #clothdiapers chat that Bummis has discontinued their polar bummi, so if you're interested in getting some, you'll need to hurry.

Bump 2 Baby @ Take Time to Smell the Rose

2010-08-23T15:13:00.000-04:00

Chari at Take Time to Smell the Rose is celebrating the upcoming birth of Baby #2 in April with a Bump 2 Baby event. Head over and check it out... you can also snag yourself some extra entries until September 22nd.

***Update: the next post for the event will post tomorrow. I fell behind this last week when the washer wasn't working and several of us came down with colds :(...

Winners!!!

2010-08-22T20:59:00.001-04:00

Hard to believe it's already time to draw winners. And equally hard to believe August is almost over! I used Random.org to draw winners and winners are...

The Happy Heinys giveaway had 1295 entries and there are three winners.

Happy Heinys diapers are one of my favorite diapers to use at night and while traveling to doctor appointments. For those who have special needs kids in diapers, I would strongly encourage you to check out the Happy Heinys sized diapers. They're also made in the USA, if that's something that is important to you. If J grows out of his current diapers and still needs them, we'll be getting more Happy Heinys. If we don't end up getting more before then!

♥ ♥ ♥ drumroll please! ♥ ♥ ♥

First winner is: Comment # 520
jdeemarie said...
http://twitter.com/jdeemarie/status/20557823522
****************************
Second winner is: Comment # 701
Owen's Mom said... tweet
http://twitter.com/notimeMom/status/20812954960
***************************
And the third winner is: Comment #1104
Jessie said... I have your button http://jessiessie.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Ladies! I hope you all love your Happy Heinys diapers as much as we do!
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Northern Essence giveaway had 558 entries.

J still has diaper rashes on and off and Northern Essence diaper rash salve is something I reach almost every diaper change. I love that it won't ruin our cloth diapers, too. Northern Essence is a WAHM company based in Georgia that carries many natural products for babies, kids and moms... and dads too. I know one, if not both, of our little girls would love their Cupcake Soap!

♥ ♥ ♥ drumroll please! ♥ ♥ ♥

The winner is: Comment #243
The Jacobsen Family! extra entries!

While I hope your little guy will never has a diaper rash, you'll have a great go-to if he does.
**********************************

Thirsties giveaway had 1410 entries.

While Thirsties only have 2 sizes for their diapers, I'm still hoping that they'll come out with larger sizes. Last week we all got sick and poor J ended up with some diarrhea and the gussets on the Thirsties held the mess all in. I'm still loving all our diapers that the inserts agitate themselves out in the wash!

♥ ♥ ♥ drumroll please! ♥ ♥ ♥

The winner is: Comment #313
Anonymous said...
I subscribed via email -5

Congratulations Anon! I hope you find that Thirsties Duo Diaper meets your need.
************************************

The Bummas giveaway had 768 entries.

While I thought we finally had enough Bummas to finally not run out before wash day, I learned this last week that I still haven't figured that all out {smile}. Bummas are great for washing faces, wiping runny noses and wiping the bum as well. If your little one has a sensitive bottom, try Bummas. Seriously!

♥ ♥ ♥ drumroll please! ♥ ♥ ♥

The winner is: Comment #179
Tirza said... Following publicly via GFC.

Congratulations Tirza! I hope that the Bummas work for you and that you'll love them as much as we do.
**********************************************
I'll email the winners shortly and they'll have 48 hours to respond or I'll have to pick a new winner. While I wish that all of you could have been winners today, I hope that you'll stick around and enter the current giveaways on the sidebar and those coming up.

Giveaways! and Wipes Week @ Love Lives Here

2010-08-21T00:30:00.015-04:00

This is what happens when the washer doesn't work for 3 days and we finally get it fixed, just as everyone is running out of clothes and J is running out of diapers. You get giveaways... And, I noticed that we have over 350 followers now, so everyone gets 5 extra entries into each giveaway going on. Plus the giveaways for Happy Heinys, Northern Essence, Thirsties and Bummas all end Saturday night! So get your entries in!

Now... on to the giveaways!

Monkey Tales is hosting a giveaway for a Planet Wise Swim/Diaper Bag during Monkey's Birthday Bash! (ends 9.10)

Emily's Latest is hosting a giveaway for Tropical Traditions Natural Household Cleaner. (ends 9.8)

For those interested: Mommy Reviews is hosting a giveaway for Bamboobies. (ends 8.29)

She's Mommafied! is hosting a giveaway for a BabyBond. (ends 8.28)

Well Born Baby is hosting a giveaway for 3 pack of FuzziBunz Perfect Size pocket diapers in Size Medium (6-36 Months) Watermelon, Kumquat, and Mint! (ends 9.30)

And Potato Makes Three! is hosting a giveaway for something from EcoMom. (ends 8.21)

Coupon Mommy of 3 is hosting a giveaway for White Bummis OS AIO. (ends 8/23)

Coupon Mommy of 3 is hosting a giveaway for a surprise wet bag from Maxwell Designs. (ends 8.23)

Nicki's Cloth Diaper Reviews is hosting a giveaway for a Thirsties Duo Diaper to help her get to 50 followers!

Love Lives Here is hosting a giveaway for a $25 GC to The Periwinkle Piggy. (ends 9.5)

Love Lives Here is hosting a giveaway for a set of wipes from Sweet Bobbins. (ends 9.5)

Adventures in All Things Food is hosting a giveaway for a $60 GC to CSN Stores. (ends 8/24)

6 and STILL Sane is hosting a giveaway for 4 reusable cloth pads from Randumosity. (ends 9.4)

Arizona Mama is hosting a giveaway for a $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores. (ends 9/11)

Silent Storm is hosting a giveaway for a $20 Gift Certificate to Top to Bottom Baby Boutique. (ends 9.8)

Don't forget that Wipes Week at Love Lives Here starts this Monday, the 23rd. There's some great sponsors and you'll learn a lot about using cloth wipes. See you there! (there's also extra entries available currently, so hurry over)

Fluffdom Express: Better for Babies: Little Beetle Prefold {Review & Giveaway}

2010-08-18T12:08:00.000-04:00

When searching for cloth diapers and special needs, you sometimes come up at some, well.... 'different' places. Some of which make you wonder how that has anything to do with cloth diapers or special needs. But some of those searches turn up great places. That's how I found Better for Babies!

Better for Babies: natural, organic, and uncompromising baby products. It's a great description for them.

I never thought that I would like prefolds, after the fiasco with them several years ago when we used them with one of J's sisters. Granted, I had no clue of how to use them... and, most importantly, wash them. But, no matter all the things I did wrong, it was evident that prefolds weren't something my dad had any interest in, even now. That all changed when we got to review the Large/Toddler organic prefold from Better for Babies. Made with soft organic fair trade velour on one side, beautiful and heavy duty Hemp French Terry on the other, with a hidden soaker layer of 3 more layers of hemp french terry. It's a thick prefold, but since it's made out of hemp, it's also more absorbent.

When I got J ready for bed the other night, I put him in the Little Beetles Prefold, held it with a snappi, and covered it with our polar bummi. Daddy wasn't real optimistic about the whole situation, but agreed to let J wear it.... as long as I changed his diaper and washed the bedding if he leaked. The next morning, J was still wearing the prefold and cover, even though he'd wet way more than he usually does at night. An added bonus was his diaper rash was looking much better as well. Because there is no PUL or TPU, the air is allowed to circulate around the baby's bum and allows any rash to start the healing process. That's why even when J wets more or poops during the night, if he's in a fitted diaper or a prefold, his rash always looks better.

Prefolds are different than diapers. They're a rectangular piece of absorbent fabric and like a fitted diaper, they need a cover. Plus, the sizing for prefolds is different. You won't find a prefold with a weight range, but with the actual measurements for the size of the prefold.

Little Beetles prefolds are more expensive than other prefolds I've seen. Running from $11.15 - $12.45 each. It's still less expensive than buying pocket, AIO or AI2 diapers in larger sizes. The Large/Toddler prefold is a less expensive option for special needs kids or for any little one who suffer from constant diaper rashes.

The only thing I wished was different about the prefolds was instead of cotton velour, it was bamboo. Understandably, it would increase the cost of the prefolds, but if you have a little one who gets constant and repeated rashes, it's much better.

J thinks it's a great diaper, but it would much better served if he got to carry it around and rub the velour on his face! {smile}. As for the rest of us? I think most have gotten over the assumption that if it's a prefold, it leaks. I'd love to get some more prefolds for J to use for night-time.

{Prefolds} by Little Beetle: Simplicity, Versatility, Absorbency & Adorableness

Buy It: Better for Babies sells 4 different sizes of prefolds for $11.15 - $12.45 in three different colors (for the velour)

WIN IT: Lauren at Better for Babies has generously offered for one (1) reader to win their own Little Beetle Prefold in the size and color they need/want.

Mandatory: Visit Better for Babies and tell me something that you'd like to have.

**make sure you have your email address in your comment or visible in your profile**

Extra Entries:

Follow @HappyReviews on twitter
Follow @betterforbabies on twitter
Like Better for Babies, Inc on Facebook and write on their wall (2)
Check out the prefolds and tell me which color you'd pick
Tweet about the giveaway

“Simplicity, Adorableness...: #Win a Little Beetles prefold during #FluffdomExpress http://bit.ly/bXjtvv #specialneeds #giveaway Ends 9/4“ (5xday)

Follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect (5)
Subscribe to Happily Southern via email (5)
Blog about this giveaway and link back to the giveaway and Better for Babies (5)
Add our button to your sidebar
Add our event button to your sidebar

This contest is open to the US only and ends September 4th, 2010 at 12:00 PM EDT. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email as well as announced on Happily Southern. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen and notified.

A big THANK YOU to Better for Babies for providing the review & giveaway items! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Giveaways!

2010-08-18T01:02:00.009-04:00

Current Giveaways I've Found!

Liz Has a Life is hosting a giveaway for a Soft Bums Echo DryTouch Solo Pack (ends8/31) and a Tiny Tush Elite OS Pocket (ends today)

6 and STILL Sane is hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to Nifty Nappy Cloth diapers! Ends 8.31

Biehl Adventures is hosting a giveaway for a Rockin' Green Bundle during her Fluff Baby Home event. Ends 8.23

The Family Jennings, it started with two is hosting a giveaway for 2 Buddha Bunz dryer balls! Ends 8.29

Home Grown Families is hosting a giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to The Baby Store Plus! Ends 9.5

A Jaded Mama is hosting a giveaway for TWO Orange Zest AppleCheeks Little Bundles. Ends 9/1

Dirty Diaper Laundry is hosting a giveaway for a Envibum diaper. Ends 8.30

Arizona Mama is hosting a giveaway for a prize pack from Happy Baby. Ends 9.4

Jessie's Ramblings is hosting a giveaway for a $60 gift certificate to CSN Stores. Ends 8/20

CSN Stores {CLOSED}

2010-08-17T12:50:00.003-04:00

Have you heard about CSN Stores yet? If you visit lots of blogs, then you've probably come across several reviews and giveaways for CSN Stores. I've hosted a giveaway for CSN Stores in the past and won a few giveaways that have been sponsored by CSN Stores. I've always been impressed at the quick shipping and the variety of products they carry.

The Cloth Diaper Foundation and Extra Entries Opportunity!!!

2010-08-16T17:36:00.000-04:00

Recently I heard of The Cloth Diaper Foundation which helps provide families with cloth diapers so they can build their own stash as slowly as they need to. Right now, they're short on diapers and are trying to get 1200 diapers donated, so that when they reopen for applications, they will be able to provide cloth diapers for 100 babies.

Do you have more diapers than you currently need for your child? Visit their website to see if you can donate them to help other families.

Since I can't help by sending in diapers right now, I want to help spread awareness for the Dozens Diaper Drive and this is where the extra entries come in.

************************************************************

If you blog about this cause and grab their button, you can have 15 extra entries to put in one giveaway or divide up into several. (Just leave your blog post url in a comment on this post)

Donate your extra diapers to The Cloth Diaper Foundation: Dozens Diaper Drive. 15 extra entries to put in one giveaway or divide up into several, whichever you'd prefer.

Share on about the Dozens Diaper Drive on Facebook and with your cloth diaper mama friends (15 extra entries to put in one giveaway or you can divide them up into several giveaways.

If you do any of these options, please leave a comment on this post!

Spread the FLUFFY love!

Fluffdom Express: Lulu's in the Fluff {Review & Giveaway}

2010-08-16T11:14:00.000-04:00

Totally GLAMOUROUS!!! And... it's not just for your cloth diapers either. Lulu's in the Fluff is great for many other things as evidenced by the chart on their web site. We had been having problems with our cloth diapers. Since J's surgery, he'd been having constant bouts of diaper rash and we were using creams like Calmoseptine which coated our diapers and prevented them from wicking. You can read our review of Lulu's in the Fluff and how to do a glamour sleep on your diapers here.

When we started using cloth diapers back in March, we thought we'd just stick with our regular laundry detergent, ALL free & clear, since no one in our family was sensitive to it. Unfortunately or fortunately, our diapers didn't do well with it. It was taking waaayyyy to long to wash diapers. From the 8-10 hours for washing till the inserts smelled somewhat decent to now, with using Lulu's, only 5 hours. I'm still working on cutting it down and my ultimate goal is to be able to wash, dry and stuff diapers in 4 hours! Using Lulu's, I'll think I'll get there soon.

Lulu's in the Fluff also has Sparkles Deodorizing Pail Freshener in the same scents as the glamour wash. I love using pail fresheners for keeping down smells in the wet bags on trips to clinic. It would definitely go in a 'cloth diapers in hospital basket'.

Not only is Lulu's in the Fluff a wonderful detergent, but Lulu and the moms who work with her are wonderful as well. Good customer service is something that every company should strive to have. Personally, I think that some companies would do well to take lessons in good customer service from the moms at Lulu's in the Fluff.

For not being really big on scents in general, I love Zippity Doo Dah! and I almost can't wait to try Dimpled Booty and Lavender Vanilla!

This is what our diapers looked like after doing a glamour sleep with Lulu's In The Fluff. Kinda makes you wonder what's in your diapers!

There's a list of retailers that carry Lulu's in the Fluff on their website. But, since Mothering Grace doesn't carry it yet.... I'll be getting my Lulu's and pail freshener from Country Drawers.

Buy It: Country Drawers sells Lulu's in the Fluff for $10.95 for regular formula and $11.95 for hard water formula. Country Drawers is also donating 50% of the proceeds from all instock Lulu's in the Fluff to The Cloth Diaper Foundation. You can read more about the CDF here.

WIN IT: Lulu's in the Fluff has generously offered one (1) reader their own full size bag of Lulu's In The Fluff Glamour Wash in their choice of Naked Booty (regular) or Unscented Hard Water and a Lulu's in the Fluff label for some laundry room glamour

Mandatory: Visit Lulu's In The Fluff and tell me what scent you'd like to try.

**make sure you have your email address in your comment or visible in your profile**

Extra Entries:

Follow @HappyReviews on twitter
Follow @inthefluff on twitter
Like Lulu's in the Fluff on Facebook and leave a comment (2)
Like Country Drawers on Facebook and leave a comment (2)
Tweet about the giveaway

“Glamourize your #clothdiapers with Lulu's in the Fluff! #Win some during #FluffdomExpress http://bit.ly/bXjtvv #giveaway #specialneeds Ends 9/4“ (5xday)

Follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect (5)
Subscribe to Happily Southern via email (5)
Blog about this giveaway and link back to the giveaway and Lulu's in the Fluff (5)
Add our button to your sidebar
Add our event button to your sidebar

This contest is open to the US only and ends August 28th, 2010 at 12:00 PM EDT. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email as well as announced on Happily Southern. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen and notified.

A big THANK YOU to Lulu's in the Fluff for providing the giveaway items! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Giveaways!

2010-08-13T12:17:00.000-04:00

Mama to 3 Blessings is hosting a giveaway for a Envibum diaper or mom4mom cover. Ends 8/17

Fluffdom Express: Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag {CLOSED}

2010-08-13T11:00:00.002-04:00

How does one hold those dirty diapers while at the hospital, clinic, emergency room or a doctor’s office? Or dirty outfits that got wet? The answer is something that I wish I had known earlier. Wet bags! Mamas who already cloth diaper have probably heard of Planet Wise Inc. For those of you who haven’t heard of them, they make wet bags, pail liners,wet/dry bags and more. They are PVC-FREE, waterproof and machine washable and dryable with clothes or cloth diapers!

Back in June, when J had surgery, we used the wet/dry bag to hold pre-stuffed diapers to make diaper changing easier for those doing it. The bag held approximately 5-6 diapers in the ‘dry’ part. Previously we hadn’t had to worry about diapers with #2 because of his ileostomy, so not having a wet bag didn’t pose a problem. It’s very important item to have because if your child has loose stools, you aren’t going to want to put that diaper into the diaper bag and not everyone remembers to bring grocery bags, especially ones without holes! I recommend getting at least two wet/dry bags to be able to have one in the wash and still have another one on hand to use.

The only con that I’ve found is the handle isn’t as securely sewn as I would like. It’s not a big problem unless you really fill the bag with soaking wet diapers and hang the bag by the handle for a long period of time. Other than that, it’s one of the items that you won’t regret getting.

Where can you buy it? Most diaper retailers carry Planet Wise bags. You can find a complete list of retailers here.

WIN IT: Planet Wise Inc has generously offered one reader their own wet/dry bag in choice of print.

***Giveaway CLOSED. Winner is Chany***

A big THANK YOU to Planet Wise Inc. for providing the review and giveaway items! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Fluffdom Express: Snappi Baby {CLOSED}

2010-08-12T10:35:00.003-04:00

Back in 2003, we used prefolds and plastic covers from Walmart during our foray into cloth diapers. We also used diaper pins. I was always afraid that I was going to poke C while fastening the prefold. I actually did several times. Several years later, a friend was changing her little boy's cloth diaper and she wasn't using diaper pins... She couldn't remember what it was called at the time, but I wished that I could find them and try them out.

Since then, we found those neat do-hickies that I admired. Although they aren't called 'do-hickies', but Snappis. Most Snappi retailers only have size 1 for a baby. But Snappi Baby also has a size 2 for toddlers. For those who want to use prefolds (which is less expensive) for their special needs child, the size 2 Snappi would be very good if you have the same dislike of diaper pins that I have.

Snappis are fairly easy to use. Cross the diaper tabs and attach the snappi on one side and then repeat on the other side. Pull the Snappi down and attach it to the front of the diaper. I've found that I really like the Snappi and while we just have the size 1 right now, with the proper tabs, it works very well. Most of the time, I do let J run around without a cover over the Snappi and he leaves it alone. However, it is recommended to have your child wear a cover when you're using a Snappi. Depending on how long J is in diapers, I would definitely consider getting some size 2 Snappis to use when he grows out of the size 1.

Buy it: Green Mountain Diapers carries both sizes of Snappis. For a 1-pack of size 1: $3.95. For a 1-pack of size 2: $4.55.

WIN IT: Snappi Baby sent us some extra Snappis size 1 to share. One (1) reader will win 2 1-packs of Snappis in white to use for their own little one.

***Giveaway CLOSED. Winner is The Jacobsen Family!***

This contest is open to the lower US only and ends August 28th, 2010 at 12:00 PM EDT. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email as well as announced on Happily Southern. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen and notified

A big THANK YOU to Snappi Baby for providing the review & giveaway item! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Giveaways!

2010-08-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

One Little Mister is hosting a giveaway for a $20 gift certificate to Bellalojo Baby! Ends 9/5

Mommy and Me Giveaways is hosting a giveaway for a set of 4 undyed wool dryer balls from Wooltopia! Ends 9/10

Fluffdom Express: Charlie's Soap {CLOSED}

2010-08-11T11:51:00.002-04:00

There are several detergents that for cloth diapers. Not just 'cloth diaper friendly'. Since we started using cloth diapers, we've come across several different detergents, but thought we'd just stay with the same detergent we purchased for a long time, ALL free & clear. It' worked for awhile, but then, we started having problems with build-up in our diapers and decided that it just might be better to get a cloth diaper detergent.

My main concern was the fact that people had mentioned that their child would get diaper rashes from these detergents. Charlie's Soap and Rockin' Green were the ones they'd mentioned, but I read through the Charlie's Soap website and it was pretty clear that rinsing your diapers well (like you're suppose too!) would help prevent that problem from happening. Since I always run two wash cycles without soap after washing the diapers, I thought that Charlie's Soap would work for us. When the box of Charlie's Soap arrived, it was 'wash the diapers' day and I washed them in Charlie's Soap. I thought the inserts smelled cleaner and dried the diapers. The next day I put J in the diapers that had been washed in Charlies. Towards the evening I noticed that his bottom was red again, but wasn't sure if it was from the Charlie's or there was something else going on. I put him in another diaper that hadn't been washed in Charlie's Soap and while a bit of the red cleared up, most of it remained. We later remembered that we had just learned that J couldn't have gluten anymore and he was probably detoxing, which had caused the rash or it was just another yeast rash. But we do know that it wasn't caused by Charlie's Soap. I've washed the diapers multiple times since then and he doesn't get a rash. We've had trouble with detergents in the past, since several family members had skin sensitivities, which is why we try to be careful with any new detergents.

Charlie's Soap doesn't have any fragrances added, although the one person, my mom, who doesn't like any fragances, did say that she wished that Charlie's Soap had a fragrance.

On today's to-do list: washing diapers in... you guessed it! Charlie's Soap.

Charlie's Soap has several retailers in the US or you can buy it directly from Charlie's Soap! For those who live in Canada, you won't be able to order from Charlie's Soap, but they do have a distributor in Canada.

Buy it: Laundry Power (80 loads) sells for $15.78. Which averages out to $0.20 a load, in case you were wondering!

WIN IT: Charlie's Soap has generously offered for one (1) reader their own Charlie's Soap: 80 load bag of laundry powder, a 17oz bottle of all purpose clearner and a reuseable grocery tote bag.

***Giveaway CLOSED. Winner is: Debbie C***

This contest is open to the US and Canada and ends August 28th, 2010 at 12:00 PM EDT. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email as well as announced on Happily Southern. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen and notified

A big THANK YOU to Charlie's Soap for providing the review & giveaway item! We were not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are our own and honest opinions.

Giveaways!

2010-08-11T06:30:00.004-04:00

The Cartoon Lovin' Mama is hosting a giveaway for a Baby Beary from Warm Buddy! Why not head over and enter this great giveaway! Ends 8/18

The Cartoon Lovin' Mama is hosting a giveaway for something from Inspired by Finn! Ends 8/12

The Mommy Times is hosting a giveaway for a Super Doopsy Cloth Diaper. Ends 8/25

The Mommy Times is hosting a giveaway for a AppleCheeks Little Bundle! Ends 8/25

The Mommy Times is hosting a giveaway for a Bento Easy Lunchbox! Ends 8/15

Giveaways

2010-08-10T13:30:00.003-04:00

My New Life as.... MOM! is hosting a giveaway for a ERGObaby carrier that ends today! So hurry over and get your entries in!

The Jacobsen Family! is hosting their first giveaway for a SunMate from Purely Products! Head on over and enter! Ends 8/21

Cloth Diaper Addiction is hosting a giveaway for a Woombie! Ends 8/20

Missing comments and extra entries

2010-08-10T11:22:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, a friend messaged me on facebook to see if I knew why comments with twitter statuses were disappearing. I didn't and she graciously spent some time with me to see if we could figure out what was happening. The same thing happened to me also when I tried re-posting one of her tweets from earlier.

I changed comments settings so that all comments will be moderated and this morning, your comments with twitter statuses have show up. For those who tweeted yesterday, please don't add in your tweets that didn't show up. But...

As a way of saying I'm sorry this happened, you may get another 5 entries into each giveaway. Just say "twitter oops extra entry" so I'll be able to count them when I go to draw a winner.

Thanks for understanding!