Charlie Banana Review!

Fits Newborn to 36 months

Price Per Diaper:  ★★★☆☆   This diaper retails for approximately $19.88.  This is a great price when you take in to account all of the different features this diaper has!  It cannot be considered one of the cheapest diapers, but far from the most expensive.  AND you get a lot of bang for your buck!!

Leaks:  ★★★★☆   Occasionally, and especially when I first started using this diaper, we did have some leaks.  I attribute this to my user error and not the diaper.  First, the diaper stuffs from the front.  I was not used to this and had to put some thought into it when I stuffed the diaper.  My daughter sleeps on her belly and if I stuck the inserts in too far, there would not be any insert at the front, hence…leak!  Also, the diaper has adjustable leg elastic.  Until you get this to the right setting for your baby, you may have leaks around the legs.  Once we got all of these troubleshooting items out of the way, we had NO leaks.  This diaper comes with two inserts;  a smaller and a larger.  The smaller insert can be used as the newborn insert when the diaper is on a smaller setting and as a doubler later when the child is on larger settings and needs more absorbency.

Fit:  ★★★★★   It does take a while to hammer out exactly what settings fit your baby the best.  However, with the adjustable leg elastic and the multitude of snap settings for the hips and waist, you CAN find the perfect fit!  I have not used this diaper with a newborn, but, this diaper seems to have more adjustability for a smaller baby.  This diaper has one thing that few snap diapers have, overlapping tabs.

Ease of Use:  ★★★★☆   Seems like I say this a lot, this diaper has snaps and cannot get 5 stars.  With any snap diaper, it takes a little bit of trial and error to figure out the right fit for your baby.  Also, dads and grandmas seem to fear snaps.  So, for those reasons, I cannot give 5 stars.  However, once you have used the diaper a few times, it is a breeze!  The hardest part for me, was the front pocket for stuffing.  It might just be me, but this really confused me.  Charlie Banana had a brilliant idea by putting the pocket opening in the front, this would give a flap to hold a disposable liner in place.  This makes this diaper a 2 in 1 hybrid.  You can just lay the disposable liner on top of the fleece, tuck the front in the flap, and VOILA you have a hybrid diaper!  I love this feature, but for me, the front pocket really made stuffing a little bit more of a challenge.  Once I used them for a few weeks, I was used to it, but at first it was very strange!

Washing:  ★★★★★   This diapers wash clean every time!  After a ton of usage, poops, and washes, my diapers still look brand new!  The fleece is completely white and the shell of the diaper looks new as the day they arrived!  These diapers are also very easy to wash in that they require no special care.  They go in the wash with my normal wash routine and then into the dryer!  No special needs for these dipes!  The inserts have retained a small stain here and there, but no one sees that but me!

Overall Performance:  ★★★★★   These diapers are fantastic!!!  They are very similar to the beloved Fuzzibunz OS but with a little more versatility.  They are very reliable, very absorbent, and I grab them daily!  I am also very excited to see how this diaper does on a newborn!  I do feel that it will fit earlier and longer than most other OS diapers!  Plus, they come in some adorable prints and amazing colors!

Total Stars:  26/30

Daddy’s thoughts:  Anything that doesn’t leak is great!  He got over the snaps long ago and he grabs these diaper regularly!

Special Note:  Charlie Banana diapers are available at retailers such as Target, Toys R Us, and Amazon!!!

Charlie Banana Giveaway! Ends 2/9

Links you will need for this Giveaway:

Charlie Banana
The Mommy Goods on Facebook
Charlie Banana on Facebook
The Mommy Goods on Twitter
Charlie Banana on Twitter

Rules:  This giveaway will end February 9th 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.  Any entries submitted after that time will not be entered.  Mandatory entry must be completed in order for other entries to count.  Entries will be verified.  Any entries without the proper information or entries that cannot be verified will be deleted.  The winner will be chosen by entry number on random.org and notified by email as well as announced on my blog on February 10th 2011.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.  Please remember to include your email with all entries as this is the only way to contact you if you win.

Google Doc Form, Yay or Nay.

So, I know what a pain it is to type up all of the giveaway information to post AND I know what a pain it is for those entering the giveaway to have to do all of those separate comments.  I have seen many of the other blogs going over to the google docs entry form and that is why I used it for the questionnaire below.  So what do you think?  Is this easier?  Would you rather that I use this for the giveaways too?

With Under Cover Month coming and SO many giveaways to do in such a short amount of time (excited yet?) I have been looking for an easier way for me to get the giveaways up and an easier way for you guys to enter.

Plus, I have been a little creeped out lately about privacy and my name/email so easy to find by google search.  In order to maintain your privacy and do my part to keep your email from getting spammed, the google docs would cut down on your name and email being readily searchable.

Did you know that every time you enter a giveaway and post your name and email address, it pops up in google search?  Go google yourself.  It is frightening!!!  It really gave me the heebie-jeebies when I realized that for being a facebook fan, you have to put your facebook name and email all in one entry.  With this being so readily available on a google search, it just freaked me out.

So I am even more in love with the google docs.  Makes it easier for both you and me, and protects your privacy (at least, protects your privacy a heck of a lot better than just a comment on the blog).

So what do you think?  Yay or Nay for google doc giveaway entry forms?  I will be posting a giveaway within the next week (not telling what it is yet...but it is FLUFFY) and I will use this entry form.  So if you use it for that giveaway and hate it, let me know!!!!

Under Cover Month - What would you like to see?

All About Baby Boutique Winner!!!

And the winner is...

BrickHouseCooker said...I put your button on my page


The winner has been emailed, posted here, and posted on Facebook.  Winner will  have 48 hours to respond to email before another winner is chosen.


Congrats!!!

Please Help Little Emily and her Family.

Many of you have already heard that Coupon Mommy of 3, Shannon has just been dealt a parent's worst nightmare.  Her young daughter, Emily, was diagnosed just before Christmas with stage 4 cancer and will be starting chemo soon.  You can read her entire story on Caring Bridge.  If at all possible, there is a donation widget to the right side of my blog where donations will go directly to Shannon, Emily, and their family.  If you cannot give monetary donations and you are a believer, prayers are also greatly appreciated.

No parent or child should have to go through this.  Shannon, Emily, and your entire family, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Rumparooz OS Snap Diaper Review

*Note, this review is for the snap version of this diaper ONLY.*

Fits 6-35+ pounds

Price: ★★☆☆☆ This diaper is a little pricey at approximately $23.50 a diaper. Yes, there are ones that are more expensive, but many are less expensive. However, you get a lot of bang for your buck!!! According to the manufacturer, this diaper starts fitting at 6.5 lbs. This is one half to one full pound less than most other One Size diapers. I have not tried this diaper on a newborn, but if this is accurate, this diaper really could fit from birth to potty training where as most One Size diapers will not fit correctly a birth. This diaper also has many features that set it apart from other diapers and may make it worth your hard earned money. You can buy this diaper through most online retailers including my affiliates (links on right side of blog).

Leaks: ★★★★☆ I RARELY have a leak with this diaper. The only time that I have leak issues, is after a 3-4 hour nap. My daughter is a stomach sleeper and if she is down for a long nap, there will be leaking around the waist. For this reason, I have never used this as a night time diaper. However, this diaper is highly absorbent and I truly feel that if my daughter was not a stomach sleeper, this diaper would be fabulous at night. (I do wonder if I would get a tighter fit with the aplix and have a great night time fix?) This diaper has an amazing feature, double internal gussets. These internal gussets are amazing for holding in the messiest of poops and a ton of pee! Although I have never used on a newborn, I think the gussets would be perfect for EBF babies!! Each diaper comes with two inserts (the 6-r soaker); a contoured newborn micro terry insert that can be used as a doubler later and a full size micro terry insert. The full size insert has snap settings. You can snap it in/out for size and/or absorbency or what works better for a boy or a girl! This makes this diaper very versatile and gives you many options to suit you and your baby. I also love that the newborn insert can snap to the full size, it makes finding them in the dryer and stuffing so much easier.

Fit: ★★★★☆ As with any snap diaper, there will be the occasional fit issue when one snap setting is too big and one is too small. However, with this diaper, I can usually find a great fit and not have to settle for the ok fit. There is also a 4 snap rise setting on the front to make the diaper smaller or larger. Most diapers only have 3 rise settings, so this is an advantage of this diaper to have more sizing options and perhaps be able to fit earlier and longer than other One Size diapers. The Rumparooz G2 does come in either snap or aplix closure, so that is up to the consumer to decide. However, with older children who like to play Houdini with their clothes/diapers (like mine), snap closures are a must!

Ease of Use: ★★★★☆ Again, the snaps. I have said it before and will say it again, daddies, grandmas, and babysitters do not like snaps. The same diaper with aplix closure would get 5 stars. And it is not that the snaps are “difficult” because they are not. Yes, you may have to try one snap setting and then another to find which one fits best, but at most you are going to try two sizes and then decide. Aplix would be just a second quicker, but once you know which setting your baby is on, it will not be any slower or faster than the aplix! The pocket is nice and wide and stretchy making stuffing quite simple. Also, if you snap the full size insert and doubler together, it is a cinch to stuff!

Washing: ★★★★☆ The inserts and shell wash easily and are dryer safe. They wash and dry wonderfully, however, you do have to watch that poop does not get stuck in the gussets and remain after washing, it is for this reason that I gave this diaper 4 stars. This diaper also has an incredible and inventive feature called the “poop scoop.” At the back of the diaper where the pocket is, the lining curves toward the baby’s bum keeping messes from riding up the bum and the back as well as keeping the opening for the pocket clean for mom to remove the inserts for washing.

Overall Performance: ★★★★★ I love this diaper and would highly recommend it! This diaper takes anything that my daughter throws at it! It held up like a champ when she had the stomach flu and was having constant diarrhea, it holds a TON of pee, and it fits great! This is one of my favorite diapers, the only hang-up is the price. Plus, it comes in a variety of adorable colors and prints!! If you haven’t tried this diaper yet, you should!!

Total Stars: 23/30 (I do not feel that this score accurately reflects how much I love this diaper...just saying!)

Daddy’s Thoughts: This was one of our first snap diapers and it took him a long time to warm up to the snaps, but now he loves this diaper because it contains anything!

EXTRA EXTRA! From now until 1/16/11, Rumparooz is having an overstock sale on select colors, check it out here!! You can get a first quality diaper for only $17.63!!! Amazing! If you have not tried these diapers, this is the perfect chance to do so!!

****CLOSED**** All About Baby Boutique Review and Giveaway!

Recently, I was given the opportunity by Priscilla at All About Baby Boutique to review a few products for her and do a giveaway!  As this is my first time reviewing products other than cloth diapers, I was a little hesitant but also very excited!  I couldn't have been happier when I received Punkin Butt products and saw how fabulous they are!!  A HUGE thank you to All About Baby Boutique for sponsoring this fabulous review and giving one lucky reader the chance to win these amazing products!!

Punkin Butt Organic Wipes Solution Concentrate Review

Price:  ★★★★☆  You can purchase 0.5 oz of this wipes solution for $9.95 on the All About Baby Boutique Website.  This solution also comes in a 1 oz bottle for $17.49.  One 0.5 oz bottle makes over 3 gallons (12 liters) of solution.  So, if there are 16 cups in a gallon, each 0.5 oz bottle would make 48 cups.  So the cost per cup would be only 21 cents.  This means that for me to make a batch of wipes, I have two packs of Thirsties Fab wipes ($10.75 for 6 wipes x2) and then 42 cents (since I double the amount) to make each batch of wipes and solution!  I know that is a lot of math to think about, but this is AMAZING when you think about the cost of disposable wipes!!  This could save A TON of money from birth to potty training!!!

Ease of Use:  ★★★★☆ This wipes solution concentrate is very simple to use.  As it is a concentrate and there is some prep work involved, I cannot give it a 5.  However the steps are quite simple!  All you have to do is add 10 drops of the solution to 1 cup of either boiled or distilled water and then pour it over your wipes or put into your spray bottle, whichever system you use!  The only thing that could make this solution better is if it came prepped, but that is the choice of the consumer when deciding what brand they want to use and if they want to prep.  However, this is SIMPLE to prepare!

Smell:  ★★★★☆   This solution is made from oils and has a nice clean and fresh scent that is very nice and even calming.  This solution is designed to moisturize, heal, and protect baby’s skin from any bacteria, fungus, or yeast.  This solution does not contain any alcohol, color, or synthetic fragrance.  The oils that Punkin Butt has chosen go together well and have a nice soothing effect on baby’s skin and is pleasant for the diaper changer’s nose.

On Baby:  ★★★★★   This wipes solution works beautifully!  The solution does a better job than just water of cleaning up messes.  Plus, with all of those wonderful oils, it also helps to protect baby’s bottom.  It is a 2 for 1 deal and makes less steps for mom!  Even better, my daughter has VERY sensitive skin (like her Mama) and we have trouble finding products that don’t irritate her very fair and very sensitive skin.  Not once did we have an issue with this product!  Organic and natural and wonderful for my baby’s bum!!

Overall:  ★★★★★   I love this product!  Very simple to use and excellent for baby’s skin!  I have loved this product from the moment I used my first wipe with it on.  It is fresh and clean smelling, gentle on my baby’s bum, cleans her skin easily, protects her skin, and is Organic!  Love it!

Total Stars: 22/25

My personal note on Cloth Wipes and Solution: I use only Thirsties Fab Wipes (that is all I have and I love them).  I have just enough cloth wipes to fold and place in a Huggies Disposable Wipes container, then I double the recipe for the concentrate (20 drops to 2 cups of water), and then I pour the solution over the wipes in the box.  Presto!  Plus, I love that the wipes will pop up in the container just like disposable wipes.  To see how I do this, check out this video!  The only difference is that I don't use the spray bottle, I make my wipes wet in the container so they are 100% ready to go!

Punkin Butt Bottom Balm Review

Cost:  ★★★★★   You can purchase a jar of this balm for $8.95 on the All About Baby Boutique Website.  The jar is only 1 oz; small but mighty!  This product gets rid of rash fast so you don’t need a ton of it.  For comparison, most diaper rash creams come in either a 1-2 oz jar or a 2-3 oz tube, so this really isn’t a “small” amount.

Ease of Use:  ★★★★☆   This balm is very soft in the jar.  When I first opened it, I expected it to be more like solid or wax and that I would need to use a little force to get enough for her bum.  (It smells similar to a GroVia Magic stick, so I expected the same consistency) I ended up sticking my finger the whole way to the bottom of the jar!  Whoops!  Actually, it is very soft, light, and creamy.  It goes on very easily and smoothly.  Yes, you have to use your finger, so you do have to wash, but it is not sticky/goopy/icky like other creams and washes off quite  easily (plus it leaves your hand silky smooth! Bonus!).

Smell:  ★★★★☆ As with the Wipes solution, the Bottom Balm is made from Organic Ingredients and has a nice fresh and clean smell.  It smells very nice and calming going on baby’s bottom, you feel as though you are putting something high end on…it just smells and feels nice and soothing.

Effectiveness:  ★★★★★   This product does a great job of soothing skin and clearing up rash.  When we first started using this product, my daughter was getting over the stomach flu and had a small amount of rash on her bum from constant diarrhea.  This balm cleared that up immediately and has kept her rash-free ever since.  You do have to be careful to allow skin to dry prior to putting this on as it can trap moisture on the skin, this is especially true when using cloth wipes as they may be wetter than disposable wipes.

Overall:  ★★★★★   I love this bottom balm!  It cleared my daughter’s rash up in no time and has kept her rash-free ever since!  It is clean smelling and goes on her skin nice and smooth!  Love this product!  This just goes to show that you can find AMAZING cloth diaper safe diaper rash options!

Total Stars:  23/25

Where to Buy?  You may visit the All About Baby Boutique Website to make purchases!

Giveaway!!!

How to win?  One lucky reader will win both the Punkin Butt Organic Wipes Solution and the Punkin Butt Bottom Balm from All About Baby Boutique!  Giveaway will end on Sunday January 23rd, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST and winner will be announced on Monday January 24th, 2011 on the blog as well as by email.


Mandatory Entry:  Go to All About Baby Boutique and tell me what your favorite product is that they carry!  Be sure to include your email address!

Extra Entries: Please be sure to include your email address with every entry!  All entries will be verified.

*Follow the All About Baby Boutique Blog through Google Friend Connect. Leave a comment telling me this and your email address.
*Follow The Mommy Goods Blog through Google Friend Connect.  Leave a comment telling me this and your email address.
*Like All About Baby Boutique on Facebook. (Please thank her for sponsoring this giveaway!)  Leave a comment telling me this as well as your Facebook ID and email address.
*Like The Mommy Goods on Facebook.  Leave a comment telling me this as well as your Facebook ID and email address.
*Blog about this giveaway.  Leave a comment with a verifiable link to where you blogged and your email address.
*Add The Mommy Goods button to your blog.  Leave a comment with a verifiable link to where you placed the button and your email address.
*Subscribe to the All About Baby Boutique Newsletter.  Email Priscilla with the Subject heading of "Subscribe" at priscilla@allaboutbabyboutique.com to get her newsletter.  Then, leave me a comment telling me you did this and your email.


That is a total of EIGHT chances to win!  Good Luck!!

Rules:  This giveaway will end January 23rd 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.  Any entries submitted after that time will not be entered.  Mandatory entry must be completed in order for other entries to count.  Entries will be verified.  Any entries without the proper information or entries that cannot be verified will be deleted.  The winner will be chosen by entry number on random.org and notified by email as well as announced on my blog on January 24th 2011.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.  Please remember to include your email with all entries as this is the only way to contact you if you win.

New Scoring Systems for Reviews!

So, as I get more and more into reviews and this blog, it is becoming more and more obvious to me just how much of a "type A" personality I am!  This is great for my readers because I am striving to do my best and give you the best information that I possibly can!

I have been given the opportunity by a few different sponsors to review products other than just diapers and so I needed to implement a scoring system for those items.  Today I will be posting a review for a cloth wipes solution and a diaper rash balm, so I needed to create scoring criteria for those items so that in the future, as I review more and more items, you can look back and accurately compare and contrast products!  So here are the scoring systems for these products and they will be posted in the header for future reference!!!

Wipes Solution Scoring System

Cost:  (read specific review for cost break down as this is dependent on size/ amount of product)

5 stars:  Under $5

4 stars:  Under $10

3 stars:  Under $15

2 stars:  Under $20

1 star:  Over $20

Ease of Use:

5 stars:  Very easy to prepare, no improvements to be made.

4 stars:  Very easy to prepare, minor improvements could be made.

3 stars:  Easy to prepare, could be easier.

2 stars:  Difficult to prepare, but could easily be improved.

1 star:  Impossible to prepare.

Smell

5 stars:  Delicious, I could eat it.

4 stars:  Very nice smell.

3 stars: Odorless.

2 stars:  Not my favorite “flavor.”

1 star: Repulsive.

On Baby

5 Stars:  Cleans baby bottom very well, no rash or other issues.

4 Stars:  Cleans baby bottom ok, no rash or other issues.

3 stars:  Cleans baby bottom ok with some issue noted.

2 stars:  Not very good at cleaning baby bottom and issues.

1 star:  Terrible at cleaning baby bottom, many issues.

Overall

5 Stars:  Love this product, would highly recommend

4 Stars:  Good product, would recommend

3 Stars:   Acceptable product, may or may not recommend

2 Stars:  Poor Product, would not recommend.

1 Star.  Awful product, would not recommend and would warn against.

Total Possible 25

Diaper Rash Cream/ Ointment/ Balm Scoring System

Cost:  (read specific review for cost break down as this is dependent on size/ amount of product)

5 stars:  Under $10

4 stars:  Under $15

3 stars:  Under $20

2 stars:  Under $25

1 star:  Over $25

Ease of use

5 Stars:  Very easy to put on baby and little or no mess for you.

4 Stars:  Very easy to put on baby and some mess for you.

3 Stars:  Ok to put on baby, and moderate mess for you.

2 Stars:  Hard to put on baby, and moderate to large mess for you.

1 Star:  Almost impossible to put on baby and/or huge mess for you.

Smell

5 stars:  Delicious, I could eat it.

4 stars:  Very nice smell.

3 stars: Odorless.

2 stars:  Not my favorite “flavor.”

1 star: Repulsive.

Effectiveness

5 Stars:  This product clears up rash quickly and returns baby skin to healthy.

4 Stars:  This product clears up rash in an ok amount of time and returns skin to healthy.

3 Stars:  This product will clear up rash eventually and may dry out baby skin.

2 Stars:  This product will not clear up diaper rash.

1 Star:  This product will not clear up diaper rash and will irritate baby bottom even more.

Overall

5 Stars:  Love this product, would highly recommend

4 Stars:  Good product, would recommend

3 Stars:   Acceptable product, may or may not recommend

2 Stars:  Poor Product, would not recommend.

1 Star.  Awful product, would not recommend and would warn against.

Total Possible 25

Stay tuned later today for the reviews and giveaway!!!! 

Reviews coming!

With the holidays and all, I have really slacked with the reviews.  I have a couple of giveaways lined up too!  We are heading to NJ this weekend to visit family and have Christmas with them, so I am going to work on reviews in the car!  WOOHOO!  Four hours there and back (listening to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Sesame Street on the DVD player) I should be able to crank out a bunch of reviews to post next week!!!  Stay tuned!