Thursday, March 31, 2011

Can it be Possible? Under Cover Month is Over?

Wow!  Looking around the blog at the comments and the tremendous amount of entries for all of the giveaways, I would have to say that Under Cover Month was a huge success!!!  It has been an amazing month and it was a ton of fun!  I hope that you learned a thing or two (I sure did!) and I hope that you enjoyed the event!!!

All giveaways are open through midnight tonight so make sure that you have all of your entries in!  And I will do the best part tomorrow....announce the winners!!!  I love doing the reviews and I love the interaction with you guys...but I LOVE the giveaways!  I love being able to give you guys something!  A HUGE thank you to all of the sponsors who made this event possible and FUN for all!!!

What is in store for TMG next?  I have a bunch of reviews and giveaways that have been on the back burner waiting for Under Cover Month to be over...so I am going to get those written and posted.  And there are always new reviews and giveaways coming!  I also have another (smaller) event in the works, so stay tuned for that!  And there are a few other surprises coming...but I am keeping those to myself...for now!

Also huge on the upcoming list is the Smart Bottoms diaper party on Saturday!  I am really excited for this!!!  I am really excited because I get to have friends (cloth diaper users and cloth diaper questioners) there with me to see the diapers and learn more!  But I also get to share the party with all of you!!!  I would love it if you guys would tune in Saturday night for the virtual party!  You may not get to eat the food...but you can get in the giveaways!!!  So come, play along, and maybe win something!

In the immediate future, TMG will not be posting quite as much to the blog.  My 21 month old has grown intolerant to the laptop and we have been having some behavior issues.  I do think that it comes from mommy not giving her the attention that she needs/wants/desires.  Under Cover Month was a lot of work, and while I hoped that I could keep it separate from my home life, it was just so much work that I HAD to work on those posts while she played.  I feel like a bad mommy for that...so I need to remember that the blog comes after my husband and little one.  And who knows...maybe number 2 soon!  :)  I hope!!!

And so we conclude...I hope that you have had fun on our journey...Under Cover!

~Laura~

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Smart Bottoms Diaper Party!!!


You have seen Smart Bottoms on many of the blogs, and there is even a review and giveaway on this blog...now you can join the fun too!!!  The Mommy Goods is hosting a Smart Bottoms diaper party on April 2nd at 7pm!!!  This party will be live (in my home) as well as broadcast virtually for all of you to see!!!  I attended one of the Smart Bottoms parties virtually when they did Kristina from Cloth Diaper Addiction's party!  Even though you are sitting at home in your jammies, it is still a ton of fun!

For virtual attendees, there is a chat set up, so you can participate, ask questions, and enter the giveaways at the end!  It is a ton of fun!!!  You may view past parties and/or tune in Saturday night here!

If you have questions, just ask!!

~Laura~

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Aliyah's Hope Chest Fleece Diaper Cover Review and Giveaway


S: Rise - 15" Waist - 13" to 15" Thigh - 7" to 8"
M: Rise - 17" Waist - 15" to 17" Thigh - 9" to 10"
L: Rise - 19" Waist - 17" to 19" Thigh - 10" to 11"
XL: Rise - 20.5" Waist - 19" to 20.5" Thigh - 11" to 13"

Price Per Cover:  ★★★★★  Most fleece diaper covers from Aliyah’s Hope Chest are sold for $6.99.  This is a fabulous price for a cover!  AHC is also always having great deals, so you might get a couple for even less per cover!!  However, depending on how much your child wets and how frequently you change your child, you may only get one use out of this cover before needing to wash.  It all depends on what you want!  However, this is a WAHM and I love supporting them!

Leaks:  ★★★★★  Even thought this is a single layer fleece cover, I did not have any issues with leaks!  This may be a testament more to the fitteds that I used with it, but I did not encounter any problems with this cover!  We did occasionally wake in the morning a little moist around the front waist since she sleeps on her stomach and there was pressure on this area trapping moisture.  But it was not enough to wet her shirt or her sheets and this was after 12-14 hours of sleep…not much does hold up that long!!

Fit:  ★★★★★  Fleece itself is a little stretchy, plus you are putting this over a fitted, contour, etc.  Even though this is a sized cover and there is no way to adjust it, I found that it fit my daughter perfectly!  Around the legs and waist, the fleece trim is folded over and is therefore 2 layers.  This makes the waist and the legs a little less stretchy (still a little stretchy) and a little more rigid.  This is great around the legs and waist to prevent blow-outs and to absorb more in these areas as they are the #1 and #2 offenders for leaks.


Ease of Use:  ★★★★★  It really does NOT get any easier than this!  This is a non-adjustable cover, so you simply pull it up (like undies) and over the prefold, flat, fitted, contour, etc of your choice.  No messing with snaps, Velcro, etc.  Your baby is happy and dry for quite a few hours, then you take it off and toss it in the diaper laundry!  There are no special instructions for anything!  Of course you can hand wash or hang to dry, but only if you want to!

Washing:  ★★★★★  Toss in with diaper laundry, into dryer, and back onto baby!  Simple!  This cover washes well and has only gotten SOFTER with multiple washes!!!  It washes up easily, dries fast, and is super comfy for baby!

Overall Performance:  ★★★★★  I will admit, I was shy and even afraid to try fleece.  I was also quite skeptical!  BUT…after using this cover…I am in Love with fleece!!  It is so nice to know that baby will wake up dry, rash free, and her bum is super soft and cute!  It is also super easy to use and care for fleece!  The only negative that I can see to fleece covers in general would be that depending on how heavy of a wetter your child is and/or how frequent you change them, you may only get one use out of your cover before it needs washed.  This just means that you may need a couple more of these ADORABLE covers!!!

Total Stars:  30/30  Wow, my first perfect score!  Congrats AHC!


You may make purchases directly from Aliyah's Hope Chest here!  If you are going to make a purchase, AHC has graciously offered a 20% discount code for all TMG readers.  Just use the code "TMG20" at the checkout!  Also, Giveaway below!!

Sustainablebabyish Wool Cover Review


X-small – Fits 5-15 pounds (0-5 months)
Small – Fits 12-23 pounds (4-12 months)
Medium – Fits 22-30 pounds (12-28 months) – (this is what I tested)
Large – Fits 30+ pounds (28+ months)

Price Per Cover:  ★☆☆☆☆  Wool is expensive.  I will say that up front.  This cover retails for approximately $42.95.  While yes, wool is expensive, you get a HUGE bang for your buck with wool, it is all natural fibers, and you do not need as many covers as you would with other types of covers.

Leaks:  ★★★★★  Wow.  All I can say is wow.  I have heard about wool from day one of cloth diapering and heard the tales about how great it does at night.  I was a skeptic and I laughed that it could never be as good as so many people say.  I was wrong.  Not one leak.  My heavy wetting daughter could not pee enough during a 12-14 hour night to soak through this cover!  There were a few times that her shirt would be damp in the morning around the front waist, this is due to the pressure from her laying on her stomach all night.  Her shirt was damp, not soaked, and the sheet was dry!  Mommy and baby were thrilled!


Fit:  ★★★★★  This cover is made from a 93% wool/ 7% spandex blend.  This makes this cover nice and soft, comfy, and stretchy.  My daughter is at the lower end of the weight range for this cover and she is very skinny, so I was a little scared that it might not fit her.  Well, again, I admit defeat!  It fit her perfectly!  Since this cover is ultra stretchy, it stretched over her fitted and hugged her well.  The amazing part is that there is still lots of stretch left to fit a larger baby!  This is amazing!

Ease of Use:  ★★★★☆  Such is the nature of wool.  To get the amazing benefits, you do have to put a little extra effort into it!  You cannot wash wool with your other diaper laundry, it does have its own set of laundering rules.  I will discuss this further below in the washing section.  Other than the special laundering considerations, wool is very simple to use!  It is a simple pull on and pull off cover with no other bells and whistles.  Most times you can simply air dry the cover between uses and you only have to go through the laundering ritual once in a while, whenever the cover is soiled, needs lanolized, or it is just time to wash.


Washing:  ★★★☆☆  This was hard to score.  Based on the fact that it has its own washing ritual, I gave it a three.  Also, the three was earned due to sheer intimidation.  I was SCARED of wool.  I was afraid to take it out of the package when it came!  In all honesty, once you do your homework and figure out how to wash and lanolize the cover properly, it is quite easy!  It just stinks that you cannot simply throw it in the wash with the diapers!  Again, you have to put the effort in for the amazing benefits.  Wool Care Instructions from Sloomb are at the bottom of this post.

Overall Performance:  ★★★★☆  I have been AMAZED by this wool cover!  It has outperformed all of my expectations!  I am still catching on to the washing ritual and I am still a little intimidated by wool.  That being said, if you have a heavy wetter like mine, this is a fantastic cover to try!  (if you can get over the price and the intimidation of course!)

Total Stars:  22/30


Wool Care Instructions from the Sustainablebabyish Website
what you will need:
Ecover Delicate Wash or other wool wash
Solid Lanolin
Sweater Shaver (makes your knits look new in minutes!)
We do not recommend spray lanolin. Solid lanolin and Ecover Delicate Wash are very inexpensive, easy to use, and make your care routine simple.
  1. fill a sink/large  pot with warm water
  2. warm 4-8 oz of water in the microwave until very hot/boiling
  3. add 1 tsp -1 tablespoon of lanolin to the cup of hot water
  4. add a squirt of baby shampoo or wool wash
  5. stir until all the yellow solids are melted and the water looks white like milk
  6. add this to the sink/pot of warm water-stir around
  7. add your wet cover to the water and massage the water into the cover
  8. let sit for 15 mins - 1 hour (you can weight it down with the butter knife)
  9. squeeze water out
  10. roll between two towels or put in the washer on the spin cycle (no water)
  11. lay flat to dry.
This review was sponsored by Sustainablebabyish/ Sloomb.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Flip OS Cover Review and Giveaway


Fits:  7-35 pounds

Price Per Cover:  ★★★★☆  This one of the most economical and versatile covers on the market.  If you are looking for something cheap, easy to use, and/or versatile, this is the system for you!  The cover alone retails for $13.95.  You can buy a package with one cover and one stay dry insert for $16.95 (competitive with most pocket and AIO diapers) or a package with one cover and one cotton organic insert for $19.95.  As you buy larger packages, the cost per diaper decreases and you could possibly by enough covers and inserts for two days for $100, providing that you would be able to use only 2-3 covers per day.  Very economical and the versatility is priceless!

Leaks:  ★★★★★  I did not have one leak with this cover.  I did trial this diaper with the stay dry insert, the organic cotton insert, and the disposable inserts and I did not have a leak with any of them.  This cover has form fitting elastic at the legs and back to ensure a tight fit and to contain messes and leaks.  Also, the inside of the diaper features contour flaps in the front and back to hold your insert and to stop leaks.


Fit:  ★★★★★  I don’t often give five star ratings for fit on a snap diaper or cover.  However, with this diaper, you get the perfect fit every time.  The spandex butterfly flaps are stretchy and there is elastic in the back and the legs so with all of that stretch and give, you can be certain that you will find the perfect fit.  The stay dry insert, the organic cotton insert, and the disposable insert are all very trim, do not add bulk, and do not change the fact that you can always find the perfect fit.  This is an OS cover with a 3 snap down rise feature on the front.  This ensures that from birth to 35 pounds, you can find the perfect rise in addition to the perfect fit around the waist.  This cover is the perfect blend of stretch and firm to give you a solid cover with a perfect fit.

Ease of Use:  ★★★★★  Normally, I would take a point off for snaps.  I just cannot do it for this cover.  This cover is SO simple and the two snaps on each tab are not hard at all!!  This cover is so versatile and so easy to use, that it warranted 5 stars even with the snaps!  Many diapers and covers have lost the star for snaps, but due to the stretchiness of the tabs and the flexibility of this cover, the snaps are not difficult at all!


Washing:  ★★★★★  The interior of this cover is made from laminated polyester which means that you can just wipe the cover, put a new insert in, and put it back on baby.  When it is time to actually wash it, it washes perfectly.  You just throw the cover in with your other diaper laundry, hang to dry, and it is ready to go again.  This cover dries in no time and after many washes, it still looks brand new!

Overall Performance:  ★★★★★  I cannot say enough about this cover!  It is amazing!  I love the versatility.  If you like the stay dry inserts of pockets, you can use the stay dry.  If you like prefolds, you can use the organic cotton inserts.  And if you are traveling or need to use non-cloth diaper safe cream, the disposable inserts are fantastic!!!  This cover also works over any brand of prefold, flat, or fitted if you do not wish to buy Flip specific inserts!  This cover is fabulous!

Total Stars:  29/30

See Flip Stay Dry Insert Review Here
See Flip Organic Cotton Insert Here
See Flip Disposable Insert Here


You may buy Flip products from Abby's Lane here or Giveaway below!

Blueberry OS Coveralls Review


Fits:  10-40 pounds (also available in mini coveralls which fit 16-18 pounds)
This review is for the Hook and Loop version of this cover only.

Price Per Cover:  ★★★☆☆  This cover retails for $16.95.  This is an average price for a cover and you do get a lot of bang for your buck with this cover.  However, if you are wanting this cover and do not want to spend that much, check the sale section on the Blueberry website.  They frequently have sales and usually you can get an irregular cover for only $8.50.  Blueberry is very picky about what they sell as a first quality diaper or cover, in most cases the irregular items have a snap that is just a hair off from where it should be or something about as minimal.  I have bought from the irregular section multiple times and it has taken me hours to find the flaws.  If you are interested in this cover but don’t want to pay full price, I highly recommend checking this out!  This cover is available through my affiliates, links to right.

Leaks:  ★★★★☆  When I have used this diaper with a fitted or thin prefold, I have had no leaks.  However, when using larger prefolds, I have encountered a leak or two, but I attribute this to bulk.  You have to be careful when placing your prefold in the cover that there is enough room on each side for the leg casing to touch the leg and not have a gap to allow leaks.  This diaper does feature inner leg gussets which do marvelously to contain wet or mess, however the gussets do narrow the area in which your prefold should fit.  Also, the back waist is gathered in order to contain the flat or prefold from sticking out as well as preventing any leaks out the back.


Fit:  ★★★★☆  This cover is made entirely of a soft stretchy laminated fabric that is able to stretch and move so that you can get the perfect fit every time.  However, at times, the fabric is almost too stretchy and makes it harder to put on baby.  For the most part, I had no trouble fitting this cover to my baby, but with her being so skinny, I did have trouble with having drop tabs and bunching tabs due to the excess fabric.  As with other blueberry products, the aplix closure is built tough and I do not see this wearing out any time soon.  Plus, the aplix tabs can be overlapped if you have a skinny child like mine.  This OS cover features a 3 snap down rise just like many other OS covers in order to last for most of your child’s diapering years.  However, one thing going against this cover is that it does not start fitting until after 10 pounds.  You would need another cover for the first few weeks/ months of your child’s life before this would fit.  On the other hand, this cover will fit until 40 pounds, when most other ones stop at 35.

Ease of Use:  ★★★★★  This cover is about as easy as it comes.  It is thin, lightweight, stretchy, and aplix closure.  Simple is a great word to describe this cover.  Also because it is made from laminate fabric, you can just wipe it at diaper change, put a new insert in, and use again!


Washing:  ★★★★★  With the laminate inner and the polyester outer, this cover washes perfectly.  Any bit of dirt or mess just wipes off or will come off at wash time.  After many washes, the aplix shows no wear and neither does the cover as a whole.  Honestly, you would think that this cover was brand new and not used as many times as it has been.

Overall Performance:  ★★★★☆  I really loved this cover and would recommend it highly, however, the thinness and stretchiness of the fabric actually made using it a little harder than other covers and the gussets make the crotch a little too narrow for a simple prefold.  Both of those negatives are simple to overcome and get used to and are just part of the learning process.  As with any diaper or cover, you have to adjust to it!

Total Stars:  25/30


Thursday, March 24, 2011

Miss Lily's Washing Powder Review and Giveaway


Overall Performance:  ★★★★★

When using a new laundry detergent, I ask myself a few questions.  Does it get my diapers clean?  Do they smell fresh?  Are the stains gone?  Do any stinkies remain?  And the answer… Miss Lily’s Washing Powder performed amazingly!!!

I was amazed by Miss Lily’s!  I had read reviews about how well this detergent did on diapers, but I really thought that I would not notice any difference from the Tiny Bubbles that I normally use…I was wrong!

I was sent a small bag of unscented Miss Lily’s to review.  After just one wash, diapers that have been stained for weeks or months were stain free!  And on top of that my diapers smelled fresh (actually, smelled like nothing!) with no stinkies or residue!

As I have said before, my daughter has very sensitive skin and I am always nervous to try new detergents that may irritate her…well, no irritation here!  Actually, the small rash that we have been battling looks better since using this detergent!!  Even better, I had no trouble using this detergent in my HE washer!

Miss Lily’s Washing powder is also great for using on your regular clothing as well as your diapers!  And, you can use Miss Lily’s in a soak for your diapers to get out those pesky stains or stinkies!!!  This truly is the all-around use detergent!

You can buy directly from Miss Lily’s here or Giveaway below!  Washing/Soaking instructions here.

For Mom and Keiki Giveaway

Weehuggers Diaper Cover Review


Size 1 – Fits 6-18 pounds
Size 2 – Fits 15-35 pounds

Price Per Cover:  ★★★☆☆  This cover retails for approximately $18.95.  This is among the upper average to pricey covers, but it does bring some bang for the buck.  This cover is available at both of my affiliates, links to right.

Leaks:  ★★★★☆  One or twice, I did have a leak around the front waist.  This diaper has laminated bamboo/ organic cotton flaps at the front and back of the cover to hold your insert in place.  While they do work great for holding the insert in place, I do believe that the bamboo/cotton flap combined with my stomach sleeping child, made room for wicking and leaking at the front of the diaper.  The cover itself is made from waterproof polyester which contains all leaks from going through the cover.  Also, there are true leg gussets which hug baby and prevent leaks from around the legs.


Fit:  ★★★★★  I have this cover in both aplix and snaps.  Both get the coveted 5 star rating for fit.  This cover features a three snap down rise in order to customize the rise for your child.  Also, this cover comes in size 1 or size 2 in order to best fit your child through the newborn phase or the toddler phase.  The aplix is well made and extremely strong (adorable too, they are mitten shaped!).  And the snap cover has enough snap options to truly get that perfect fit that many other snap diapers cannot give.

Ease of Use:  ★★★☆☆  This cover is easy to put on and take off.  The flaps at the front and back make it simple to put your insert into the cover and then onto baby.  This makes it much easier as you do not have to double and triple check that your inserts are not sticking out.  However, these flaps can also cause leaking as they are made from bamboo/organic cotton on the front (designed to wick moisture away from baby) and laminated on the back.  Great theory, doesn’t always work well.  Also, since there is a fabric portion to the inner of this cover, you cannot simply wipe and reuse the cover.  If that bamboo/cotton flap gets wet or soiled, the cover must be washed before the next use.



Washing:  ★★★★☆  As I said above, you cannot wipe this cover between uses, it must be washed as the bamboo/organic cotton becomes wet and soiled with use.  Also, this same material is prone to staining.  Since the bamboo/cotton flap is between the insert and baby, it can take the brunt of the mess and does retain a stain or two.  As for wear, the cover itself has held up to multiple washes and shows no wear and tear.  The aplix cover still had tremendously strong aplix and the laundry tabs are simple fold over tabs.  No fuss with this cover!

Overall Performance:  ★★★★☆  I really love this cover and I was so excited to try it!!!  While I am saddened by the occasional leak and the other occasional problem from the bamboo/cotton flaps, I am still very pleased with this cover!  Plus, it comes in some ADORABLE prints and colors!!!

Total Stars:  23/30



Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tiny Tush OS Diaper Cover Review and Giveaway


Fits – 8-35 pounds

Price Per Cover:  ★★★★☆  This cover can be bought directly from Tiny Tush for $14.95.  This is a great price for a OS cover!  For this price, you are getting a very sturdy and well constructed cover!

Leaks:  ★★★★☆  I did encounter a leak or two around the waist band.  As I have mentioned numerous times, my daughter is very skinny and sleeps on her belly.  These two things combined lead to leaks with many diapers, this wass no exception.  This diaper does feature elastic leg gussets which hug baby legs and contain messes there as well as back elastic to hug and fit baby in the back.


Fit:  ★★★☆☆  This cover does have a nice fit everywhere except in the front waist.  I could not find a nice fit around the waist on my skinny 20 month old.  One snap was far too loose and the next was far too tight.  This cover is very sturdy material, but this also means that it is not as stretchy as some other covers and affects the fit a little.  It also really confused me that the crossover tabs are backwards from many other diapers.  The crossover is usually on the right, this one is on the left. This diaper also features a 4 snap down rise on the front to adjust the rise for different age/size babies.  I do feel that this cover may truly fit at 8 pounds as the manufacturer states as it seems to have a lower rise on the smallest setting than other diapers/covers.  This however, is my guess/opinion as I do not have an infant to try this on.


Ease of Use:  ★★★★☆  As I said above, I could not find a perfect snap waist setting on this cover, that was very frustrating and lead to leaking.  Also, the crossover tabs being backwards seemed strange.  If this was the only diaper/cover that you used, you would get used to it.  But using other diapers/cover, it is strange to have one backwards from the rest.  As for the cover on its own, the cover is easy to use, you can simply wipe clean between uses, and the fabric is very sturdy and I feel this cover would last through many washes and even multiple children.

Washing:  ★★★★★  This diaper cover looks 100% the same as it did the day I received it.  There is absolutely no wear or tear on the diaper and it seems to be holding up perfectly to washing a wearing.  The diaper is laminated polyester so you can simply wipe it between uses and then when soiled throw it in with the rest of your diaper laundry.

Overall Performance:  ★★★★☆  While this wasn’t a great fit for my daughter, I do feel that this is a quality constructed cover and would stand the test of time!  It is well made and waterproof! 

Total Stars:  24/30

This Review and Giveaway was sponsored by Tiny Tush and Babies Bottoms and More.  You may purchase Tiny Tush products from their sites, or Giveaway below!  Giveaway is for this cover as well as the Tiny Tush fitted, review here.


For the Giveaway - One red Tiny Tush OS diaper cover, one green Tiny Tush Trim OS Fitted, and one green booster.  The giveaway items were sent to me, along with the ones that I reviewed, so the package will come from me, not Tiny Tush.  All items are new and unwashed.


Mother-Ease Rikki Wrap Review


X-Small – Fits 6-12 pounds (used only with Mother-Ease newborn diaper)
Small – Fits 6-12 pounds
Medium – Fits 10-20 pounds
Large – Fits 20-35 pounds (this is what I tested)
X-Large – Fits 35-45 pounds

Price Per Cover:  ★★★★☆  This cover retails for $12.25-$13.95 depending on size.  This is about low to average for a diaper cover, however, you will have to buy different sizes as the baby grows.  There are pros and cons to this.  With sized covers, you have superior fit.  But in having to buy different sizes as baby grows, you have to spend more.  It depends on your diapering needs and wants.

Leaks:  ★★★★☆  I did have leaking with this cover, however, I feel that this is due to my daughter being so skinny, see “Fit” below for details.  Once she got to 24 pounds, our leak issues disappeared!  This diaper does feature wide leg gussets to hug baby and contain leaks as well as an elastic back waist to hug baby and contain leaks.  With the wide leg gussets and the generous fabric through the crotch, this cover works wonderfully when paired with the Mother-Ease Sandy’s Fitted.


Fit:  ★★★☆☆  The weight range for this cover is 20-35 pounds.  However, I have a 24 pound tall skinny toddler.  You would think that this cover would fit her perfectly.  Nope.  Since this cover is sized, the tabs do not cross over.  So even though my toddler is well within the weight range for this cover, it does not fit her because I cannot get the waist small enough.  What I ended up doing is overlapping the tabs so that just a tiny bit of the aplix was sticking together.  It was enough to make the cover small enough for her and enough to keep the cover closed, but not how you want to do things with a toddler who likes to take her diaper off.  I personally found this frustrating, but most parents do not have string bean children like mine.  If I did not have a string bean, this cover would probably get a 5 star rating for fit and a 5 star rating for leaks.  This diaper does have superior strength aplix across the entire front of the cover to ensure that you get the perfect fit every time…unless you have a string bean for a child!  Note:  When Miss A was in the 23 pound range, the cover was too big on her.  Now that she is more into the 24 pounds, it fits well.


Ease of Use:  ★★★★★  I will give this cover a 5 star rating for ease of use.  I have already discussed above the closure difficulties and I do feel that the problem is specific to us, so I will not take points off here.  If it fit properly, this cover would definitely be 5 stars!  The fabric is a soft polyester outer and PUL inner.  Very soft for baby, very stretchy for comfort, sturdy aplix, easy closure, leg gussets to contain mess, and you can simply wipe between uses unless soiled!  Easy as pie!

Washing:  ★★★★★  You can simply wipe this cover between uses as it is made of PUL.  But if the cover is soiled or it is just time for a wash, simply close the diaper (as you would if putting on baby) and throw in with your diaper laundry.  No special wash instructions!

Overall Performance:  ★★★★☆  I really love this cover.  It is a sturdy cover, made well, easy to use, and comes in some adorable colors and prints!  I just wish that it also had overlapping tabs or that the size ranges overlapped a little.  My daughter is well within the weight range for this cover and it just did not work around the waist until she got to 24 pounds.  While I know that I am in the minority with a skinny string bean child, I know there are other mamas out there with skinny children.  I would like to see either overlapping tabs or a waist minimum disclosure for this cover. Other than that...I highly recommend this cover!

Total Stars:  25/30


Giveaway for the Mother-Ease Rikki Wrap and Sandy's Fitted here.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Doopsy SD One-Size Pocket Diaper Review


Fits – 10-35 pounds

Price Per Diaper:  ★★★☆☆  This diaper can be bought from Baby Eco Mart for $16.95.  This is low to average price for a pocket diaper, however, with this diaper and its amazing absorbency, you do get a lot of bang for your buck!!

Leaks:  ★★★★★  I was concerned that I would have leaks with this diaper as the rise was a little low on my tall toddler.  However, I found that this concern was completely unfounded as my heavy wetter was dry after long naps and night time use in this diaper!  Doopsy has a brilliant system of 3 inserts that make this diaper bullet proof.  First, there is the Super Doopsy.  This insert is a loop style insert made of 4 layers of bamboo double loop terry and one side of PUL.  The loop style is great because you simply fold it into itself for the extra layers of absorbency, but then it unfolds to wash and dry easily.  There is also an extra absorbency insert made of 2 bamboo hemp layers that fits into the loop insert.  In addition to both of those fantastic inserts, Doopsy has also included a 4 layer microfiber insert.  During the day, you do not need all 3 inserts, but at night, they have proven to be SUPER absorbent!  Also, the PUL wraps around in the front to the inside of the diaper, this keeps the front of the diaper from wicking.



You can see the microfiber insert on top and the Super Doosy below.


Fit:  ★★★★☆  This diaper features a 2 snap down rise to give 3 rise settings which gives the ability to fit from a young age to an older child.  This diaper also features two rows of waist snaps.  The bottom row adjusts the hip/leg fit and the top row adjusts the waist.  On each tab, there are 3 snaps.  There is one snap for the hip adjustment, and two side-by-side snaps for the waist adjustment.  I loved the way the hip settings fit on my daughter.  Also, since she is so skinny, diapers with hip adjustments seem to do better on her.  However, with the snaps around the waist and her being so skinny, I did have trouble finding a fit that was perfect for the waist.  That being said, we never had a leak!  



Ease of Use:  ★★★☆☆  This is a snap diaper, so there is some amount of trial, error, and difficulty involved.  That being said, once you know which snap setting fits your child, it is quite easy get the diaper on the next time.  However, the Loop insert can be quite the pain to get back together after washing.  It is well worth the effort, but it can be difficult.



Insert with PUL side up.


Washing:  ★★★★★  This diaper is well made, sturdy, and has held up in the wash perfectly!  The inserts wash clean very easily and very few stains remain.  Of course, the microfiber insert is the insert closest to baby, so it has the majority of the staining.  However, the Stay Dry Microfleece interior layer of the diaper has washed clean and only one tiny stain remains.

Overall Performance:  ★★★★☆  I love this diaper!  This diaper surpassed my expectations and has become a reliable night time diaper!  I also love that even with all of the inserts in this diaper, it is still nice and trim and fits under most clothes!  I do hate how difficult the inserts can be, but the hassle is well worth your time and effort due to the supreme absorbency!

Total Stars:  24/30

You may purchase this diaper and other Doopsy products here.



Prorap Diaper Cover Review and Giveaway


Newborn – Fits 6-10 pounds
Small – Fits 9-14 ponds
Medium – Fits 13-25 pounds
Large – Fits 24-35 pounds - (this is what I tested)

Price Per Cover:  ★★★★★  This cover, in all sizes, is only $8!  Wow!  This is an affordable cover that does its job!  This is a great choice for parents who want to cloth diaper but do not want to spend a ton of money!

Leaks:  ★★★★★  I had no leaks with this cover.  The cover is made from a polyester urethane laminate that is nice and stretchy to fit over any insert while being completely waterproof.  This cover also has extra wide leg gussets to wrap around even the thickest of inserts and yet maintain a nice hug on baby to prevent leaks.  This cover also features elastic around the leg casings and at the back of the waist to hug baby nicely.


Fit:  ★★★★☆  This cover does hug baby nicely and give a nice fit that does not allow leaks.  Since this is a very simple cover with only waist aplix closure, you may not get a perfect fit, but you do not have leaks either.  The only thing that I don’t like, which does not affect the function of the cover, is that the fabric around the aplix tabs rolls out and can be seen through baby clothing.  While this does make for a slight eye sore, it does not affect the function of the cover.  Also, since the cover is made from stretchy material, it is very comfy for baby.

Ease of Use:  ★★★★★  This is as simple and easy as it can get.  Actually, this cover is more reminiscent of the “old time” waterproof covers.  However, this cover is completely different from those old plastic pants...it is made of PUL which is more breathable than the old "plastic pants."  This cover is very simple with only an aplix closure and no fuss at all.


Washing:  ★★★★★  Like I said above, this is a simple and easy cover.  For the most part, you can simply just wipe the insert between uses.  Since it is a laminated inner, you can just wipe the cover clean and use it again.  When it is time to wash, this cover does not have laundry tabs, so you close the diaper as you would as putting onto baby, and then toss into the wash. 

Overall:  ★★★★★  You cannot beat the bang for your buck on this cover.  If you are looking for something fun and flashy, this is not it.  But if you are looking for something simple, cheap, and that will get the job done well….DING DING…we have a winner!

Total Stars:  29/30


You may make purchases direct from Lil Bunz here.  Or, Giveaway below!

Kissaluvs Marvels One size Diaper Cover Review


Fits – 8-40 pounds

Price Per Cover:  ★★★☆☆  This cover retails for approximately $16.95.  This is about average for covers, especially OS covers.  This cover is available from both of my affiliates, links to right.

Leaks:  ★★★★☆  I did have the occasional leak from this cover, always around the waist.  I did have some trouble finding a great waist fit on my skinny daughter.  This cover features a two snap down rise, giving 3 different rise sizes for different ages and stages.  This diaper also has a single row of snaps across the front to close the waist.  The tabs have two snaps size by size to secure the waist and prevent tab drop down as well as have a cross over tab possibility for small waisted children.  The legs also have leg gussets to keep in leaks/mess.


Fit:  ★★★★☆  As I said above, I did have some trouble finding the perfect fit on my skinny child.  The actual fabric of the cover is made of Polyester Urethane Laminate and is stretchy on its own.  That combined with back waist elastic makes for a good fit, but the front snaps just do not give enough options to achieve the perfect fit and prevent leaks.

Ease of Use:  ★★★★☆  This cover is easy to use.  As it is made of PUL fabric, you can simply wipe it between uses and don’t have to launder with each use.  When you do launder, there is no special care, just toss it in with your diaper laundry.  The waist snaps however, can be a little tricky to use and to figure out how to get the best fit.  This can be a huge challenge when you have a squirmy baby.


Washing:  ★★★★★  As I said above, you can wipe this cover between uses and when it is time to launder, you simply put it in with the rest of your diaper laundry.  This cover washes clean and has not retained any marks or stains.

Overall Performance:  ★★★☆☆  I thought that this cover performed OK but was not thrilled with the fit or the occasional leak.

Total Stars:  23/30


This review was sponsored by For The Monster.  You can find the For The Monster Giveaway here.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Zookies One-Size Diaper Cover Review and Giveaway


This review is for the Aplix version of this cover only!

Fits –  As this cover is still being tested, a true range is not yet available. Zookies would say that it fits 10-30 pounds for sure, and maybe even a little smaller/bigger.

Price Per Cover: ★★★☆☆ This is a brand new product and was just listed for $16.75.  This is about average for most covers and with this cover, you have the added bonus of cuteness!!!  You can buy Zookies covers direct from their site here.  All covers are available in snaps or hook and loop.

Leaks:  ★★★★☆  I did encounter the occasional leak with this cover.  One time I noticed that the prefold had slid between my little one’s leg and the cover, which caused a leak.  And two other times she had a moist onsie and I could not tell where the leak came from.  All of these leaks happened during long naps or at night.  This cover is made of a cotton outer with PUL interior.


Fit:  ★★★★★  This cover fits very well.  The cover features stretchy elastic at the back waist and front waist as well as around the leg casings.  All of this stretchy elastic provides comfort for baby as well as a nice baby hugging fit.  Also, this cover features a three snap down rise setting to give four separate rise sizes to fit your baby through different ages and stages.  This cover has a wide aplix strip across the front of the diaper and features very sticky aplix tabs.  The aplix gives you the ability to get the perfect fit around the waist.

Ease of Use:  ★★★★★  This cover is very easy to use.  The aplix tabs are simple and very sticky and the cover is nice and stretchy to give you a nice and easy fit.


Washing:  ★★★★☆  This cover washes very well.  If your child has not soiled the cover, you can simply wipe it and use it again between washes.  The laundry tabs are a simple fold over and are very sticky to prevent the tabs coming undone in the wash.  Since the outer is a cotton fabric, the fabric does seem to show a little bit of wear.  However, to get the cute/pretty print covers, you have to go with a cotton fabric, so this is the trade off that you chose.

Overall Performance:  ★★★★☆  This cover fits wonderfully but I was disappointed by the occasional nap/night time leak.  This cover just did not seem to stand up as well as others to prolonged use.  It is still a very nice fitting cover and if my daughter was not a stomach sleeper, it probably would have performed well at night!

Total Stars: 25/30


You may purchase directly from Zookies here, or Giveaway below!