Bumstoppers One-Size Cloth Diaper Review

Two of my custom size large all-in-two's from Bumstoppers

Tuesdays are all about cloth diapers! Everyone who has been on this blog before knows that I love cloth diapers. I will be writing reviews or giving some of my own tips and tricks every Tuesday.  I am excited to kick-off Cloth Diaper Tuesday (wow, we need a better name) with a review of my FAVORITE diaper!

I met Becky, the genius behind Bumstoppers, when I was pregnant with Mikaela. She was pregnant with her current youngest at the same time. I wanted to try Bumstoppers diapers for a long time, and I am glad that I finally did. I thought they were a little bit pricey, but I discovered they had a very good reason! I have been using Bumstoppers for a few months now and they are my absolute favorite diapers. Why? Because they are the best!!

There are many different Bumstoppers products, but she typically stocks hybrid fitted one-size and newborn diapers. I have a few different Bumstoppers products, including one size hybrid fitteds, one size AI2s, large hybird fitteds, and large AI2s. I also have some newborns on the way, but I can't tell you much about those, YET. ;)

Bumstoppers diapers have the best fabric options. You could probably spend hours drooling over it (if you are a fabric-drooling kind of person, as I am.) You might have to snag a custom spot to get your favorite print, but they are well worth it. Several of my diapers were customs, including those pictured at the top. (Picture is courtesy of Bumstoppers, my diapers are scattered all over the house at the moment.)

Cloth diapering is a great way to save money, but the upfront cost of diapers are always expensive. Bumstoppers diapers start around $21.95 for sized, $23.95 for one size and $13.95 for newborns. Some of the diapers might cost more due to a more expensive fabric. This is pretty average pricing for quality work-at-home-mom diapers. Yes, they are more expensive than cheap China diapers, but they are better. You are also supporting a made in the USA product, and a mom! It's really a win-win. On top of that, these diapers last a lot longer and honestly just work a lot better.

What is a hybrid fitted? Fitted diapers require covers. Hybrid fitted diapers have a hidden layer of fleece which offers more protection. I typically do not use a cover on Miki when she is running around the house. I will use a PUL cover or wool longies when she takes a nap, otherwise I have found that a hybrid fitted works just as well as any diaper with PUL. I have used several other brands of fitted diapers and I can honestly say that none of them match up to the quality of Bumstoppers, even some of the more trendy and expensive brands.

I prefer the hybrid fitted over the all-in-two, just for the "squishy" factor, but I have a pretty even amount of each kind. I should also mention that Bumstoppers has an "Affordabum" line, with some less expensive diapers. I haven't used any of these myself, but I have heard good things about them! One last thing that I LOVE about Bumstoppers one-size diapers are the crazy size range. I have seen pictures of a one-size diaper on babies as young as a few weeks. Most one-size diapers gape at the legs with smaller babies. The design of the one-size diaper really allows for growing room too. I put Kainan in one of Miki's diapers (for measuring purposes, he is potty trained) and at forty five pounds they actually almost fit! They were just a tad snug in the front, his butt was completely covered. I would say that they easily would fit most children until 40 pounds.

If you are looking for high quality adorable diapers, Bumstoppers are the way to go. I would give Bumstoppers diapers a 10/10 for their high quality, cute prints, and excellent fit. You should definitely try one! Want to buy one? Go here! I will post some "action shots" of Miki in her Bumstoppers diapers very soon, she is at Nana's house today!


 

 Note: This is my personal opinion about my use with these diapers, I have not been compensated by Bumstoppers in any way! I bought these diapers at full price (or on sale, you know me) without anyone having the knowledge that I would be doing a review!

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Introducing Our New YouTube Channel!

We are so excited to introduce our new YouTube channel - Naturally Thrifty Moms! We are going to be doing a ton of video reviews on cloth diapers, cloth diapering accessories, baby products, and much more. Make sure you subscribe so you'll be the first to know about new reviews! See you on YouTube!

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Fuzzibunz One-size Cloth Diaper Review

Hey guys! It's Amy and I'm finally back. A few of my cloth diapering posts were some of the most popular posts on the blog so far, so I have decided to make Friday's "Cloth Diaper Friday!" Basically I will either share some info on cloth diapering, do a cloth diaper review, or MAYBE even finish my eight weeks to a cloth diaper stash posts! Would anyone be interested in seeing that finished? If you have no idea what I am talking about, start here. The posts were pretty popular and I'd like to finish them if there is any interest. 

Anyway, I'll kick off the first "Cloth Diapering Friday" post with a review for Fuzzibunz one-size diapers. You can buy these directly from Fuzzibunz or almost any site that sells cloth diapers. I got mine on Amazon. I own three of these diapers in Apple Green, Crushed Berries and Grape. The colors are really great! I got mine really cheap (Amazon coupons back in 2011) and I wish I would have gotten more! Fuzzibunz is probably my favorite one size pocket diaper, or at least tied for first with Happy Heiny one size pockets. 

What makes Fuzzibunz different from many other one-size diapers is  the unique adjustable elastic. Most OS (one-size) diapers have a snapping front. Because of Fuzzibunz patented adjustable elastic, FB OS diapers tend to be "trimmer" (less bulky) than most OS diapers. They also come with extra elastic, although I've never had to use mine. I found that the adjustable elastic fit smaller babies better than my other OS diapers. The picture on the right is Mikaela in Crushed Berries around three weeks old (yes, she was fat.) Most of her other OS diapers didn't fit until a few weeks later. The Fuzzibunz one-size diaper only has a snap option, so if you prefer aplix they may not be for you. I think that aplix is easier, but snaps hold up better. Diapers with snaps look "new" much longer and possibly have a higher selling value because of that. 

So overall I definitely recommend the Fuzzibunz one-size diaper. I've only had ONE problem. My Apple Green diaper has had about four snaps fall off, and my Crushed Berries diaper has a loose snap. I have never had any problems with my other snapping diapers (Bumgenius, Flip, Sunbaby, etc.) so I'm not sure if I just got a bad batch or if this is common for Fuzzibunz. I have not contacted Fuzzibunz because it had been about a year since I bought the diapers, and I did not think they would be covered. So the Fuzzibunz one-size diaper gets a 9/10 from me. Other than possible faulty snaps (which is an easy fix) these diapers are trim, have a great fit, hold up well, and are very cute! 
 

 
Note: This is my personal opinion about my use with these diapers, I have not been compensated by Fuzzibunz in any way! I bought these diapers at full price, with coupons, and this is just my personal opinion!

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U-Haul Truck Rental Review

I just received an e-mail from U-Haul asking me to rate my recent truck rental. As Meagan mentioned, I recently moved (last weekend) and I used U-Haul. The reason that  I chose U-Haul was because it was  the only moving company that offered a pick-up in my area. Or so I thought.. I went online and reserved my rental on a  Tuesday evening. I thought that reserving on Tuesday would ensure that the truck I needed would be at my location on Saturday. I received a call Friday evening (at about 3:30PM) from a U-Haul representative telling me that not only was the truck I reserved not available at my location, but there were NO trucks available at my location!! I honestly thought that was WHY I reserved early. I asked her what I could do, she told me I could drive 65 miles away and pickup my truck. Or 80+ miles, those were my only options. At that point it was Friday evening, I had a doctors appointment, and there was no way to reserve another truck to move on Saturday. I had no choice.

The move went fine, other than the fact that I had to spend three hours picking up a truck on Saturday. I worked all week so I had intended to spend those three hours to finish packing. I was given an extra 75 miles, and an extra 24 hours. That was nice.. but I still had to pay for the 65+ miles in gas out of pocket. If you've ever rented a truck, you know that gas really adds up. I'm not at all happy with my experience. I wouldn't recommend U-Haul to anyone. The staff was pretty friendly, the truck was fine (kind of, the A/C was a little funky) but what does that matter when you can't have the rental that you reserved?? I don't recommend U-Haul. I know that Meagan used Penske when she moved and had no problems. Considering U-Haul is one of the more expensive moving companies, they really aren't worth the extra cost and hassle. I wrote a negative review, and I doubt anything will come of it. I just hope that someone will read this and skip U-Haul entirely.



 

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Potty Training a Cloth Diapered Baby

There is quite an abundance of cloth training pants available on the market today. Unfortunately, the price can be a bit steep, considering you don't know how well they work. With my oldest son, we tried everything from cloth training pants to Pull-Ups. We finally found the perfect combination, and got him 100% potty trained in less than a week.

Gerber Training Pants

When he was finally ready to sit and attempt to pee on the potty, we picked up some Gerber Training Pants from Walmart for about $8, and he loved the designs of little cars and footballs. He thought they were the coolest big boy underwear in the world. They are great, because they are thicker than underwear, but not too thick that your child won't feel wet if they pee themselves. 

We also bought some Gerber All-in-One Training Pants for $12 for bedtime. They work great. They aren't too bulky, but bulky enough in case he has an accident, he doesn't get all wet.

Gerber All-in-One Training Pants

We actually got very lucky while potty training Luke, because he picked it up the second day of training, and hasn't worn a diaper, or Pull-Up and hasn't had an accident since then. He thinks it's the coolest thing to be able to wear big boy underwear and go on the big potty like Mommy and Daddy. Every once in a while, if we're going on a long car ride, I'll put him in one of the All-in-One's, but he never goes in them. Also, if he's running low on underwear, and I need to do laundry, the Training Pants are a decent substitute. Of course, now that he has Toy Story, Cars, Nemo, Star Wars, Thomas, and Star Wars underwear, the little cars and football designs aren't comparable, but they work in a pinch.

Also, a word to the wise. When it does come time to buy your little one big kid underwear, do not go to Walmart expecting to get a deal, because you won't. Underwear is so expensive! I scoured the clearance sections of TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory to find 3 packs marked down to $3 and 5 packs marked down to $4-$5. Do not, I repeat, do not spend $10-$12 on a 5 pack of underwear if you don't have to! Luke outgrew his first pack of underwear within 3 weeks, and we had to go out and find some larger ones. When you find two or three packs on the clearance rack at a store in your child's size, let them pick out their favorite pack. Luke loves that! Sometimes, you can find good deals on ebay as well. So, good luck with the potty training, and remember, this is just another baby step, like learning to walk and learning to talk. They'll figure it out before you know it!

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Inexpensive, Good Quality Makeup

If you're a mom, then you know that money you used to spend on things like makeup, go towards diapers, baby food, and other child necessities now. That doesn't mean that you have to give up your love of makeup! You just need to find a cheaper alternative to that great MAC eyeshadow. Well, if you've never checked out E.L.F. Cosmetics, you need to...now! E.L.F. stands for eyes, lips, face, and they have amazing quality for the price! You can purchase them directly from the website, or from Target. I've also heard that some Kmart stores carry their products, but I don't have any Kmart's near me to confirm that. Sorry that this post is so long. I didn't plan on that, I just wanted to include everything I could.

They offer three brands of cosmetics:

Studio - This is the highest cost cosmetics that they offer. The majority of single products in the Studio line is $5, which is still a steal.

Mineral - This is the neutral cost cosmetics. Most of the single products in the Mineral line are $3.

Essential - This is the cheapest line of cosmetics that E.L.F. offers. There are some great products in this line and they are mostly only $1 for single items. How awesome is that?

Now I'm going to go over some of my favorites from each line.

Things I Have and Love

Studio Cream Eyeliner ($3)

Studio Line:


Cream Eyeliner - This eyeliner is amazing! You can use it to create thin or thick lines and it lasts for hours. It comes with a slanted eyeliner brush, but I prefer the Small Angled Brush. It works fine, I'm just used to the Small Angled Brush. This is available in 11 different shades.
                   

Studio Blush ($3)

Blush - This stuff is great! I was never really a huge blush fan, until my mom gave me one of these and told me to try it. Oh my gosh, I love my blush now. This blush has great pigmentation and is easy to blend, so you don't look like a porcelain doll. It's available in 11 different shades, from coral colors, to rosy colors, to pinks. My favorite is Mellow Mauve. It looks great on brunettes, which I am. I use the Studio Blush Brush to apply this blush, and it works great.

Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 ($3)

Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 - This stuff wears like a lipstick. It is so pigmented and wears great all day. It also has the SPF, which is great if your in the sun at all during the day. I love the Nice & Natural color, because it just accentuates the natural color of your lips, but the Blissful Berry is also very pretty. It comes in 5 different shades, and a nice little pot, so it's easy to take with you.




I know a lot of women are very picky about the brushes they use to apply their makeup. I never really had a great deal of extra money to spend on brushes, so it's not like I could go out and buy a $25 Sigma brush, but now that I've found some great E.L.F. brushes, I'm never trying anything else that costs more than $3. Lol...

Small Angled Brush ($3)

Small Angled Brush - This is the brush I mentioned that I use for the Cream Eyeliner. It works great at making thin or thick lines and it's easier for me to use then the brush that comes with the eyeliner, since the handle is longer. I feel like I have more control over it.

Blush Brush ($3)

Blush Brush - Let me tell you, if you don't have a good quality blush brush, then your blush is never going to look the way you want it to. This blush brush works great for me, and does a great job blending.

Complexion Brush ($3)

Complexion Brush - This brush is a favorite of mine for bronzers, and blending all of my powders. I know a lot of people use this for applying their blush, but I'd rather use my blush brush for that. This does work great for blending though.

Powder Brush ($3)

Powder Brush - I have tried all different brushes for my mineral powder foundation, and this is the best brush I have found to work as well as I want it to. Kabuki brushes are super awkward for me, so I need that longer handle to work with. This brush does the trick. It works great.





Mineral Line:


I've only ever tried one item from the Mineral line, but it is definitely worth mentioning if you struggle with breakouts.

2-Piece Blemish Set ($5)

2-Piece Blemish Set - This set is amazing! You can use it as a blemish concealer, and as a daily or nightly cleansing routine. I use it as a concealer, and after I've washed my face at night, I use it on my blemishes. It works great at concealing any imperfections. It also comes with the concealer brush. The powder is translucent, so it's great for all skin tones. It's actually on sale right now for 25% off, so instead of $5 it's $3.75.






Essential Line:

Eyelid Primer ($1)

Eyelid Primer - If you've never used an eye shadow primer, and always have trouble with creasing or your eye shadow wearing off throughout the day, you need to try this. For only $1 this stuff works! Not only does a little bit go a long way, it makes your eye shadow last a good 6-8 hours, and it makes your eye shadow colors more intense. It's great. It's available in 4 different shades as well. The Studio line also makes a primer, but this one works for me, so I'll save the $2 and stick to this.

Bronzer with Brush ($1)

Bronzer with Brush - I am not a die hard bronzer girl, but every once in a while, when I want that glow, I'll use it, and for the price of bronzers these days, this $1 bronzer won't break the bank. I use the shade Glow, which is the lightest of the 4 shades available. I don't use the brush that comes with it though. I use my Studio Line Complexion Brush, and it works great.

Luscious Liquid Lipstick ($1)

Luscious Liquid Lipstick - I am a fan of lipsticks that look like glosses, and that is exactly what this is. It wears like a lipstick (great staying power), but looks like a gloss. It has a twist up foam applicator. My favorite shade is Maple Sugar. It comes in 11 different shades, and it's only $1, so you can buy a few and decide which you like best.

Mechanical Eyelash Curler ($1)

Mechanical Eyelash Curler - This little tool is much different than the ones you can buy at the drugstore for under a few bucks. This one has a much wider eyelash shaft and the rubber pads are made out of silicone so they are much more comfortable. Also, I have never accidentally pinched my skin using this one, unlike the cheapo ones from the drugstore. The handle also has this extra finger rest, which helps to give you more control when curling.

Eye Shadow Brush ($1)

Eye Shadow Brush - This is my number one E.L.F. product ever! I have tried so many different eye shadow brushes, and none can compare to this $1 baby. It does exactly what it is made to do, and does it good! I have read so many reviews of this brush being compared to $15-$25 brushes, so I made sure I bought 5 of them in case they decided to discontinue them or increase the price. They are amazing! A lot of people who have tried the $3 Studio Line Eye Shadow Brush, still prefer the $1 Essential Eye Shadow Brush. Yeah, the Studio Line brushes are prettier and sleeker looking, but the Essential Eye Shadow Brush functions just as good! If you do not have this brush, go get it now!


Just because your a mom, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice beauty for you kids all the time. And with these  prices, is doesn't hurt to splurge every once in a while. :-)

* Remember to shop through your Ebates account, to earn 5.5% cash back.

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Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream Review

Both of my boys have had eczema spots on their backs and bellies since they were very young. I've used everything from Aquafor, Eucerin, Cetephil, even prescription creams, but nothing seemed to work for all of their symptoms. When I was on vacation, my mom had bought Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream for them. She knew I hadn't been able to find anything worth the price and she'd heard great things about this cream, so she got it for me.

This cream is amazing! A little bit goes a long way. I bathe the boys and use about a pea sized amount on their bellies and a pea sized amount on their backs. I've been using it for almost a month at least 5 times a week and they no longer have irritation where their eczema is. They are both big squirmers and using such a small amount doesn't take much holding down on my part, which is a big plus! It makes their skin so smooth and their really isn't much of a scent to it. My sons aren't really keen on smelly stuff, so this is good for us. I even use a small amount on a patch I've had on my arm for years, and it doesn't itch anymore! I can't thank Aveeno enough for this amazing cream!

So, overall I would give Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream a 10/10! If your children are suffering from eczema, give this a try! You will not be disappointed.

**Note: I have not been compensated in any way by Aveeno for my review of the Moisturizing Cream. This is something that I was given as a gift from my mom and this is my personal opinion on this amazing product!**

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Summer Escapes 15 Foot Pool Review

Luke's 3rd birthday party was last weekend, and we're still trying to recuperate from it. It's been in the high 80's to low 90's all this week, so Delvin has been taking Luke swimming a lot. Last year we bought a 12 foot Intex pool from Wal-Mart towards the end of the season on clearance. We got to use it for about a month before we had to pack it away. Well, this year we have an extra family member, so we decided to sell our 12 foot pool and get a bigger one. We decided on the Summer Escapes 15 foot round pool. It is great quality, and it came with a ground cloth, cover, and accessories kit (vacuum, skimmer, and an extra filter). The one we had last year, had the pump that sits on the ground, but the new one has the pump that attaches to the side with the skimmer, which is great. No bugs, or pool of water on the ground. It's great! And it's deeper then our old one, which is good for the grown ups. We're hoping to have Luke swimming with little to no help by next summer. He loves swimming with our help now though.

If you don't have a lot of land, or can't afford to get a pool installed, this is the next best thing. The price is reasonable, and as long as you take care of it properly, it will last. There isn't much of a difference in maintenance between a small (10'-18') pool and a professionally installed (20'-40') pool. Of course, you use less product, but you still have to maintain the pool on an everyday basis. It's very simple once you get the hang of it.

Overall, I would give the Summer Escapes 15 Foot Pool a 10/10. For the price compared to the value you get, I definitely think this pool is worth it.

**Note: I have not been compensated by Summer Escapes in any way for the review of this product. This is my families personal experience with this swimming pool.**

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Copco Sierra Tumbler Review

I mentioned a while back that I was going to buy some of these tumblers on Amazon whenever I got my gift card from Swag Bucks. The prices on Amazon vary but I managed to get two (pink and blue) for about $5 each. Now that I have used them I have to say I really like them! I love the built in stirrer and they're pretty hard to spill. I also like that the straw can't fall out because of the stirrer, so it's harder to lose. I think that these are great because you can take them with you without wasting money on drinks. I've used them for water and tea so far. It also saves on plastic bottles and cans. They are reasonably priced and it seems like they will hold up pretty well over time. The colors are really nice and the cups are a good size (24 oz)  I give these a 10/10 and would recommend them to anyone looking for a money saving/eco-friendly drink solution.


**Note: I bought these Tumblers with my own money and was not compensated in any way for my review.**

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Munchkin Snack Catcher Review

During the Amazon coupon promotions I happened to find these Munchkin snack catchers. Many of the reviews say they were used for younger toddlers (around one year) but I use them for my three year old. Kids can be pretty messy, especially in the car! These snack catchers are perfect because they don't spill but little hands can still get to the snacks easily. They are just over $6 for two. They certainly aren't the most natural thing and might not be great for families trying to cut back their plastic useage. That being said they are BPA free, reusable, and really nice to have around. :) Some of the reviewers on Amazon said that they didn't like that the snack catchers didn't come with a solid lid. Honestly it's never been an issue for us and I never thought about it until I read it. I wish they come in more colors (they don't, at least not in the 2 pack) but other than that I rate these 9/10! They are convenient and easy for toddlers/preschoolers to use. I would highly recommend them.

**Note: I have not been compensated in any way by Munchkin for my review of the snack catchers. This is something that I bought myself and my personal opinion on this really cool product!**

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Shark Steam Pocket Mop Review

I figured this review would go hand in hand with Amy's post on safer cleaning products. I saw the Shark Steam Pocket Mop on sale at Big Lots a few weeks ago for $49. I knew my mom had one, so I gave her a call to see how she liked it. She told me how she hated it. She said it was a pain in the butt to drag it out, fill it with water, plug it in, etc. Anyway, she told me I could have hers if I wanted to, so I said sure.

I look at the Shark steam mop as an easier way of cleaning. Before I had it, I used an old mop and bucket. I had to fill the bucket with water and cleaner, dip the mop in the bucket and ring it out. Now, I only have to fill up the tank with water (which is easy peasy the way they made it). I just lay the mop flat, open the tank, and use the filling cup it came with to fill it with water, screw the cap back on, and we're good to go. Plug it in and start pumping! I love the Shark steam mop, because I don't have to use cleaners at all to get my floors shining! I use it on my hardwood floors in my living room, and my linoleum in my kitchen. I also use it on my ceramic tiles in my foyer. It works great for all of my floors. Plus, it has a super long cord, so I can do all my floors at one time without having to unplug it and plug it back in. With two little ones, I always have something to clean up. Spilled milk is the worst, and it always gets in the grooves of my hardwood and drives me crazy! With the Shark steam mop, it comes right up!

It also comes with tons of washable pads for different areas. The water tank is really big compared to other steam mops, as well. The best part is, the pads are double sided, so if you dirty one side quickly, you can just flip the mop to the other side which is a real time saver.

I would give the Shark Steam Pocket Mop a rating of 9/10. The price is the only downfall to this wonderful mop. I would keep a look out at Big Lots, Walmart, Ollies, etc to see if you can find it on sale. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an easier, healthier way to clean their floors!

**Note: I have not been compensated by Shark in any way for the review of this product. This is my personal experience with using this steam mop.**

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Wooling Around Wool Dryer Balls Review

My beautiful green and purple dryer
balls Amy made for me.

I don't know about you, but I was so sick and tired of buying boxes of dryer sheets every month. I would rip them in half to make them last, but I still felt like I was spending too much money on them each month. I've never used liquid fabric softener, and I never wanted to start. I've heard too many horror stories of the liquid fabric softener leaving streaks on the clothes. So, when Amy started Wooling Around, I was really interested in learning more about them. When Amy told me they could last anywhere from 3-6 years, that was all I needed to hear. Anyway, I ordered 4 dryer balls from Amy in the beginning of April, and she sent them to me within a week of ordering. I loved the way they looked right out of the box, but I wanted to see how well they worked. I thought the concept was awesome! So, I spent the whole weekend doing laundry, just so I could use my new dryer balls. Don't you hate when you wash bed sheets, and you take them out of the dryer, and they're in a ball? And of course, the insides are still wet! Not anymore! These dryer balls have just enough weight to them to constantly keep the fabric separated in the dryer. It only took my sheets 35 minutes to dry! It was amazing! I have an old piece of crap washer and dryer, so 35 minutes is awesome! It used to take an hour to an hour and a half. Someone who bought dryer balls from Amy a while back told her that the dryer balls cut her drying time in half. So, I tested this theory. I used to set my dryer to 70 minutes. Now, I set it at 35 minutes, and sure enough.... practically everything I put in there is dry within that time frame! My wool dryer balls are working wonders, and I love not having to buy dryer sheets anymore! I love them so much, I ordered four more from her to make for my sister for her birthday. I figure...why not spread the love? :-)

If you don't understand the concept, or think the benefit isn't worth it, just check out this post.

I was thinking of giving this product a 9/10. The only downside to them, is that they are so pretty and colorful, my son loves to play with them, and all four of them don't always make they're way back to the dryer! So, I guess technically they would get a 10/10, since being pretty shouldn't be a fault! :-)

**Note: I have not been compensated by Wooling Around in any way for the review of this product. This is my personal experience with using these amazing wool dryer balls.**

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bumGenius Newborn AIO Review

I bought several of these diapers before Mikaela was born. They were formally known as the bumGenius XS AIO. However, bumGenius has unfortunately stopped making the other sizes but continues to sell this size with a different name. I purchased these primarily for my husband because I intended to use prefolds and covers but the AIOs are so much easier. I have to admit that I don't want to mess with prefolds right now so these are pretty much all that we use. I have 12 and I wish I would have bought more. Fortunately I bought a few in size small and once she fattens up just a little those should fit as well.

For those who don't know an AIO (or all-in-one) diaper is similar to a pocket except the absorbent part is sewn into the diaper. They are very similar to disposables in how they fit and many moms who use other types of diapers buy them for dad, grandma or the babysitter to use. 

This diaper comes in twelve cute colors and is said to fit from 6-12 pounds. My daughter was 7 1/2 (dropped to 7 and is now gaining again) at birth and these fit her very well. She also has very skinny legs, some diapers tend to leaky with skinny legged babies but these don't seem to. I think they would fit a baby smaller than her just fine. We only had one leak and that was because my husband thought that he changed her (middle of the night) but didn't so she wore it much longer than usual.

The only downside to these (and any other AIO) diapers is the drying time. I would hang them on the line to dry but since I only have 12 I often need them faster so I have to throw them in the dryer. Some parents do not use cloth until babies fit into a one-size diaper due for financial reasons. It's important to remember that cloth diapers do have a resale value and these diapers seem to re-sell very quickly. The tiniest diapers tend to have the highest resale values because they are used less.

I would rate these diapers 10/10. They are very easy to use, especially if you want to cloth diaper your baby right away. I wish I had bought more of these in the first place, if I had to do it over I would probably buy 24. Luckily I did buy a few smalls when they went on sale. It's unfortunately that bumGenius discontinued the other sizes of this product. I plan to try and find more smalls and possibly mediums because we like them so much.

**Note: I have not been compensated by bumGenius in any way for the review of this product. This is simply my personal experience with this diaper.**

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Fuzzibunz Cloth Diaper Review

The Fuzzibunz One Size Pocket diaper is the first cloth diaper that I ever purchased. I went to my local Greenberries, because I just happened to have some coupons, and I saw a blue cloth diaper that just looked so cushy and comfy. I had to get it! Luckily, with my coupon I only ended up paying $9.95. From the time I took that diaper home and used it on Luke, I was hooked! It had amazing absorbency and it came with two different inserts (a long for boys and a short for girls). I've even doubled up on them and used both at once. It worked great at bedtime when Luke was going through the stage where he had to go to sleep with water. Well, since that first Fuzzibunz, I've grown my collection considerably. Besides the few dozen pockets I've sewn for the boys myself, the majority of our stash is Fuzzibunz. Jake has some perfect size pockets in medium right now that fit him beautifully, and Luke mainly wears the one size, but we just added a perfect size in large to his collection. Thanks to Amy! She got it and it didn't fit Kainan, so she passed it on to me. I would like to get a few more size large for Luke, since Jake also fits the one size pockets. Anyway, I highly suggest this diaper to anyone that is nervous about cloth diapering. After I wash all of my cloth diapers, I stuff them right away. That way, when I have to change a diaper fast, all I have to do is grab it and go. I have both aplix (Velcro) and snap closure, but the majority of mine are snap. Both of them work just as good though. If this is something you'd be interested in trying out, I know a good portion of the Once Upon a Child stores sell them. Also, you can go to their website and search where to buy them in your area.

Overall, I would personally give this product a 10/10. Mainly because I haven't been able to find any other type of cloth diaper that works well for both of my boys. I'll find something that works great for one, and doesn't for the other. This is the only one that suits all of us. And, Delvin doesn't mind changing these diapers! :-)

**Note: I have not been compensated by Fuzzibunz in any way for the review of this product. This is my personal experience with using these awesome cloth diapers.**

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Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold Review

Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds are one of the products that I decided to try while
Amazon had their coupon codes going on. I plan to write up a detailed post about the codes and how they worked at some point. Many moms got free or nearly free diapers and other baby items during these deals.

I will admit that I might not have tried this prefold if I hadn't had a coupon code. Cotton prefolds are typically $1-$3 or so depending on the size. This prefold is $7 and is a blend of hemp and cotton. Hemp is more expensive but many cloth diapering moms prefer it because of it's high absorbency. So here are my thoughts on this prefold:

It is very soft. Thirsties calls this a hemp jersey (hemp and cotton blend) and it is much softer than many other prefolds. It doesn't "quilt up" like a regular cotton prefold but it honestly doesn't need to, because..

It is very absorbent. I was pleasantly surprised. Thirsties claims that this prefold is 25% more absorbent than cotton and it certainly seems to live up to that. They also dry much faster than traditional cotton prefolds.

It is very trim. The trimness is what really sold me on this prefold. Many prefolds can be bulky but this one has absorbency without bulk. This is particularly important for toddlers.

It is available in two sizes. Like all of the other duo products, these prefolds are available in two sizes. The first is for smaller babies, 6-18 pounds. The larger size is for older babies and toddlers, 18-40 pounds. I got this in the size 2 and it fits nicely on my 37 pounder in a Thirsties size large cover. I have also used it tri-folded in a pocket diaper and it works well for that too.

Hemp diapering products are great! Hemp is naturally antimicrobial, which is certainly a good thing when you're talking about something that stays near the butt. This can mean less diaper rash. From an environmental aspect, pesticides are not necessary in the farming of hemp, unless you are buying organic cotton you can be sure that pesticides were used in most cotton products.

Thirsties is made in the USA company. All of Thirsties products are manufactured in Colorado. Buying diapers that are made in the USA is important to a lot of cloth diapering parents. Products that are manufactured here have less far to travel and the workers who make them are much more likely to be treated fairly. Thirsties website states that even their hemp jersey (what this prefold is made out of) is knitted here in the US.

Overall, I absolutely love this product! I would give it a 9/10. The only "bad" thing about this product is the price. Prefolds and covers are usually an inexpensive choice but using this prefold would make it slightly more costly. That being said, ANY hemp product is going to be more expensive due to the regulations placed on them, among other things. I bought two more in Kainan's size after trying this one, I also bought one to try for Mikaela. I wish I would have bought more while I had the coupons. I would recommend this prefold to anyone. I have never tried to use it with a snappi (Kainan is too big, I will try it with Mikaela) but as a tri-folded prefold or a pocket insert it works great.

**Note: I have not been compensated by Thirsties in any way for the review of this product. It is just a product that I love and want to tell other moms about!**

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Munchkin Easy Squeezy Spoon Review

We went to Walmart yesterday to finish off the boys' Easter baskets. While we were there, Delvin saw this thing called the Easy Squeezy Spoon in the baby department. At first, I looked at him like he was crazy. This thing looks like a spoon hooked to a big silicone container. How could this possibly make feeding easier? Well, I figured I'd get it and try it out. If I didn't like it, I could always return. After all, Walmart takes back anything! So, I opened it this morning when I was getting ready to feed Jake some pears, and followed the directions to put the baby food inside the silicone piece. It was really strange to get used to, but SO much easier. Especially when I'm feeding Jake in front of Luke. Luke always tries to grab the bowl from me. Every time I squeezed it to make the baby food come down onto the spoon, it made a little noise (like air coming out), and Jake and Luke were both cracking up laughing over the noise. So, every five seconds I would squeeze it, and the boys would start laughing. It was too cute! Anyway, I think this is something I'll definitely keep in the diaper bag. It would be so handy when we're out to eat or at the grandparents house. For some reason, no matter how many baby spoons I "keep" in the diaper bag, I can never find one when I actually need it. So, this will definitely come in handy for situations like that. The only downside that I would foresee with this product is cleaning. If you did use this while out and about and didn't get to rinse/wash it for a few hours, I could see the baby food getting into the grooves and a little difficult to get out. Nothing a good soak in hot water couldn't loosen though.

Overall, I would probably give this product an 8/10. This product would be great for anyone that travels with their baby a lot, or just needs an easier way to feed their little one during the busy days. Great product! Thanks Munchkin!  :-)

**Note: I have not been compensated by Munchkin in any way for the review of this product. This is just my personal experience with this product.**

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