Nearly 3 months since my last post.

Does anyone still stop in here? Let me know if you'd like to see me actively post again. My life has become extremely busy but I am really missing blogging. So, if I've still got readers, I'd love to pick it back up! So if you see this post, please comment with what you'd like to see on my blog!

(oh and my cloth diaper update: we are in love with fitteds... and I've discovered the PIN love. no more snappis... well, we use snappis on PFs ;p but I LOVE MY PINS!

weight loss update: 177 lbs!!)

Fitness Challenge!

(Sorry if this post looks a little wonky. I'm writing it on my laptop with the broken screen AND screwy keyboards!)

So, as I posted previously, yesterday, September 10th, was my "official" weigh-in day. The goal I had set was 185 lbs. But I was so busy that I couldn't make it to the computer to blog my results!

So, my weight yesterday morning was.....

185.4 LBS!

So, I'm not *quite* there, but I'm okay with being less then 1/2 a pound away from my goal!

I will re-check my weight in one week (next Thurs) and hopefully I will have shed that .4 :)

As for today, it was Day 3 of Couch To 5K!

So I finished Week 1. I was going to give myself an extra week to work on my endurance, but after today's run I feel like I need to push on to Week 2. If it's not a challenge, what's the point?

Today was great. I didn't get tired until the 6th set and I think that has something to do with the fact that I forgot to stretch beforehand >_>

Everytime my podcast-guy said "Okay, it's time to slow back down to your brisk walk", I was thinking, "Already!? But I JUST started running!" So I think this is an indication that I am ready for Week 2! I can't wait for Monday! I was thinking of running Week 1's workout again tomorrow just as an extra boost since I'll have Sunday to recover, but I have a classmate coming over for a HUGE anatomy&physiology study session. I can't afford to mess up my first test in this class!

I feel great about myself :D

Anyone else doing this program? Let me know! I want to hear from you! Especially if you have successfully completed it... tell me all about your journey!

(I promise, there will be some cloth-diaper related stuff coming soon! I have a few reviews I need to type up!)

Couch to 5K, Week 1: Day 2

So, today was my 2nd day with the Couch to 5K program and I am just so psyched!

It was a 5 minute warm up walk, then 8 sets of 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking followed by another 5 min cool down walk.

I got through all 8!!! It was difficult but I just kept reminding myself what a disaster Monday was and if I felt myself speeding up too much, I just slowed down and concentrated on my breathing to make sure I wasn't overexerting myself. Sure I got out of breath, and very tired (and am now pretty sore!!!) but it was SO fulfilling. Stuart and Liam hung back and played by the river because Li-bug was fussing too much for a walk in the stroller. When I got to the 5th set, I turned around and started heading back the other direction. They had just begun walking towards me when I was already in the 5 minute cool down walk. Stuart asked, "Did you give up?" and I was smiling SO huge when I told him, no, I'm in the 5minute cool down!

I'm so excited! I cannot wait until Friday to do it again!!! :D Wow... there is really nothing more motivating than actually DOING something you doubted yourself on.

Before starting, I told myself that if it got way too tough I could just walk through one of the running sets, but it was totally unecessary. I didn't stop once, nor did I have to skip a set!

It truly is amazing how just accomplishing something so simple as getting through a workout can make your whole day brighter.

Tomorrow is my BIG weigh in. Remember my fitness challenge? My goal for September 10th was 185 lbs... I've got my fingers crossed. I will not be entirely disappointed if I'm not quite there yet, though. I know I'm on the way.

Fitness: Couch to 5K

If any of you remember this post, you'll remember that I made a public vow to get back into shape. I have decided to do the Couch to 5K program from CoolRunning. It's a progressive program that starts you off running just 60 second intervals, and by the end of 9 weeks (though I suspect it will take much longer for me, hehe.) you are supposed to be able to run 30 minutes - or 5k.

Well, today was my first day with Couch to 5K. Um.. let's just say it didn't go so well, haha!

I had my MP3 player with the podcast that I downloaded that has music plus the audio cues telling when to walk and when to run. Today's routine was supposed to be a 5-min brisk warmup walk, then 8 sets of 60 secs of running/jogging and 90 secs of "recovery" walking.

5-min warmup walk: Started feeling good, a little out of breath... shocked at how out of shape I am these days!

First 60-sec run: Felt good to push myself. Was definitely a shock to my body. WAY out of breath... started feeling it, but it wasn't too bad :)

90-sec brisk walk: Stayed out of breath most of the time, it didn't really feel like much of a "recovery", haha. I actually started to feel quite heated.

Second 60-sec run: Ick. I kept my pace up but was SO out of breath, and started to feel ridiculously hot. I made it all the way through the 60 seconds..

then started the 90-sec walk and felt like I was going to pass out. I had to stop for a second and when I stopped it hit me that I was *not* okay to continue standing, haha. Luckily there was a picnic bench nearby and I sat down. DBF and DS caught up to me with the stroller and he lectured me to keep going but I had never felt that terrible in my life. And on top of the physical stress, there was an extreme disappointment in myself for stopping. I didn't realize I was *so* out of shape. I have never been so unhealthy in my life. Bleh!

After I felt better, I picked it back up with the 90 sec walk... then I did another 60 secs, but took it slower. It felt good, but I started to get light headed and didn't want to feel like death again. Then I walked about 10 min to the car. The second I got to the car I felt like I was going to throw up. My face was like bright bright red and I had a killer headache. It was almost like being at the picnic bench again. SOoo weird, considering I had just *walked* and not even fast!

I think my problem was, during the runs/jogs, I went pretty fast. The music was fast and I by instinct was keeping up with it. I might try to run again in a couple hours, actually. It might take me an extra week just to get through Week 1! That's disappointing but I'm determined to stick with it and push myself. I WILL finish this program!

Besides that, in my last fitness-related post, I mentioned that my goal weight was 185 by September 10th. I'm not going to jump the gun, but it's Sept. 7th and I weighed in this morning at 185.8 :D .. Almost there! Then I can set a new goal... I'm so excited! I feel terrific, even after this morning's disappointment. But I WILL get there!

I'll keep you guys posted on Wednesday.

Review: You've Got Fluffy Mail - gDiaper Cloth Inserts

While posting on a popular parenting website, I met Janell. I was impressed by her in every way - and still am. Her 3rd baby is the same age as my son and we have so much in common. Best of all - she's a cloth mama! Janell makes and sells diapers, inserts, wipes, wraps, and more... and not only does she sell them in her shop, You've Got Fluffy Mail , but she posts tutorials on how to make them on her blog! She also has a Cafe Press store.

Janell is a wonderful, creative mama and GREAT to work with. I encourage all of you to check out her sites. Her blog is so helpful, and everything she makes is made with love :)

Plus, her cafepress merchandise? Super cute:

gDiaper Cloth Inserts:

Janell designed and made these terrific cloth inserts for gDiapers, and was kind enough to send me two of them to test on my Li-bug.

She has styles available for boys, girls, and gender neutral. I received one of an adorable penguin print and one in a cute cute cute froggie print. I use them in a size Medium gPants.
Like I said earlier, this entry has been a long time coming because of my little hiatus from the cyber-world, so I've had nearly a month to test out this product before reporting here to you. I have nothing but positive things to say.

Cuteness Factor : 10/10... Need I say more?!
Absorbancy: 8/10 ... Absorbs MUCH better than a prefold would in a gPants and a gDiapers flushable doesn't even hold a candle to these inserts. They last roughly 2 hours on my son (heavy wetter, haha)
Leakage: 0. *handclaps!*
Customer Service: 10/10.... Maybe I'm biased, but Janell is terrific to work with!
Washing/drying: 9/10 I hand-wash so washing usually isn't an issue with us. However, I think I scrubbed a little too hard because the fabric on my froggy print faded a little. My penguin print is pristine. Drying time is average... I MUCH prefer waiting for an insert to dry (hang drying) than a fitted... it's so much more convenient.

These inserts in gDiapers are a convenient way to cloth diaper. Since you don't have to deal with washing the gPants (like I said, zero leakage!) each time and you only have to change out the insert, there's less to fuss with!
Plus... price-wise, these are great. Janell's shop, You've Got Fluffy Mail, offers 3 gDiapers cloth inserts for $10, or 10 for $30! Considering if you order the gCloth inserts manufactured by gDiapers (I am not knocking them - I have not yet tried them!) , you only receive 6 inserts for $29.99... sounds like a deal to me!

Thank you Janell! We love our cloth inserts!

It feels good to be back!

Well hi! Fancy seeing you here :) Did you miss me?

I apologize for my long absence from the internet. I now have my personal affairs settled and am ready to get back into the online world!

In just a few minutes, I have a VERY important review going up! Hang tight :)

BreakPal Winner!

According to Random.org, comment #1 was the winner!
Congratulations, Ali!
(Yay, funky formatting...?)

BreakPal Review And Giveaway

For this week's Win It Wednesday, I finally have a giveaway of my own :D How special!

I was contacted by Phil Weaver of BreakPal. He offered me a free premium account in order to try out the service and let you guys know what I think. In addition, he is going to give one of you a free account as well!

I admit, at first I was very skeptical... but Phil Weaver and his wife, Liz Weaver, are really onto something. As I mentioned last week, fitness has been on my mind. Sometimes it's hard to find a minute or two away from my son to do anything productive - and when I have a bit of time, I end up here. So once I gave BreakPal a shot, I found that it was something I could really enjoy.

The idea behind BreakPal is extremely simple and quite frankly, I'm surprised I haven't seen it pop up anywhere before. It's simply a widget on your computer. At predertimened intervals, it pops up and you hear "Time to work out! Are you ready?" at which point, you moan to yourself and say "No, I'm not ready, I'm blogging!" But then you see that annoyingly fit, thin woman taunting you and you decide to drop what you're doing and WORK OUT! It then delivers an easy to do 3 minute workout straight to your desktop. Even if you aren't a stay-at-home parent, these desk chair exercises are for you!

The Good: There is a variety of workouts. Whether you're a blogger/stay-at-home parent or a working parent slaving away in an office, Breakpal caters to you. Some of the workouts can be done sitting in your chair. You can choose from:

Cardio

Cardio Kung Fu

Yoga

Simple Stretching

Chair aerobics

Chi Kung

Dance aerobics

I would have to say my favorite exercise was in the Chi Kung section, called "Serving Tea". It wasn't an intense, heartracing fat-burning exercise.. but it was relaxing and stimulating. It's not even so much the workouts that make the program worth my time but the idea behind it. BreakPal helped to motivate me and help me kick-start my fitness challenge. I wouldn't substitute it for a regular workout regime but I would certainly add to my daily routine. It's very beneficial to add a small bit of activity to your day, and BreakPal ensures that you never stay idle for too long.

The Bad: BreakPal is underdeveloped. I'd assume this has to do with the fact that they are a small business. Phil and Liz Weaver are not Internet Millionaires(but I LIKE that. They are real people trying to run an HONEST business). Once more people learn of BreakPal and visit their site, they will have the opportunity to develop their program further. I'm on board to see what comes in the future!

The... Free?: Are you interested in winning a FREE premium account to BreakPal? Here's your chance!

TO ENTER: FIRST, go to http://www.breakpal.com and create an account. Leave a comment here with a LINK to your account. For example, here's mine! http://www.breakpal.com/users/lamere

Bonus Entries! (You must leave a comment for EVERYTHING you do!)

For (1) Extra Entry - Join the Break Pal Facebook Group!

For (2) Extra Entries - Become a Fan of Break Pal on Facebook!

For (1) Extra Entry - Leave a Comment on Liz's Blog (Must leave link to your comment)

For (1) Extra Entry - Be a Follower of this blog!

For (2) Extra Entries - Place my brown button on your blog or website! Must leave link in comments!

For (1) Extra Entry PER DAY - Comment any other post in this blog (Leave title of post in comments)

For (2) Extra Entries - BLOG about this giveaway - you must include a link both to this blog and to Break Pal!

For (1) Extra Entry PER DAY - Follow me on Twitter (@Lamere) and Tweet about this giveaway! Leave the Permalink to your Tweet! You can use this Tweet: Get fit with @Lamere and BreakPal - Win a FREE Lifetime Premium account and start working out today! http://tinyurl.com/ngpntp

This giveaway will end with next week's Win It Wednesday!

Oops.

Hi guys,

I have a review/giveaway pending for you that was supposed to go up last night for Win It Wednesday.

However, I had a short trip to the ER last night so I'm out of commission for a few days and frankly, just don't feel like blogging. So be on the look out for a great fitness-related giveaway very soon!

Body After Baby?

Since most of my readers are other mom-bloggers, I'm sure that body image is a subject to which we can all relate. Finding the time to get fit and stay in shape is something that I struggle with and I am sure I'm not alone.

Prior to getting pregnant with my son, I was your average 18 year old - my self image was not that great. I was convinced that I was "fat" and would whine about it to anyone I met. Still, I worked out and watched what I ate and looking back now, I may not have had a "killer" body... but I sure would kill to have it back now!

It's not really surprising to me that when my 19th birthday rolled around and I found out I was expecting, nutrition and fitness took a back burner in my list of priorities.

I was just excited to start growing and showing. I succumbed to every craving and I took the swelling in my feet and legs and the aching in my back to mean that I should be sitting in bed surfing my favorite parenting community while snacking on the closest chocolate-covered-whatever I could find.

So now, at 20 years old, I feel as if I am living in a stranger's body. Battling Post Partum Depression and taking care of a very demanding six month old leaves me very pressed for time. It's no longer just a 30 second walk from my door to the gym to spend an hour running on the treadmill and lifting weights. Now it's trying to alter my workout routine to fit my son's naptime. I will admit - I have not yet taken action against this beast that is my body mass index.

So, today I'm giving myself a challenge and making a commitment publicly in front of all my readers. Feel free to join me on my weight-loss and transformation journey by blogging your own goals and accomplishments for getting back your body and confidence after having children. If you leave me a comment with a link to your blog, I might feature you.. I'm thinking of starting a "Fit Mom" series in my blog. Let me know if you're interested!

Tune in for this week's Win It Wednesday - I have a fitness-related review and giveaway aime towards bloggers like myself.

My long term goal: Get back to 140 pounds.

My current weight: Between 190-195 lbs!

My current short-term goal: 185 lbs by September 10, 2009!

Here goes... everything!

Introducing... Win It Wednesday!

Instead of spamming my blog with various giveaways throughout the week, I have decided that just once a week I will put up a post with links to all of the fabulous giveaways and contests I can find on the web. Hopefully someday I will be able to replace these links with sponsored giveaways hosted myself!

Good luck everyone!

To Win a 3-Pack of Smartipants Diapers, visit The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. This is their Fluff Friday Giveaway.. I know it's Wednesday... that means you have less than TWO days to enter... so hurry hurry!

Win a Smartmom Jewelry Teething Bling Necklace from Monkey Toes! (And be sure to congratulate her on the new pregnancy! #5 is on its way!)

This one's a little different.. if you have hair like mine, and you find it's impossible to straighten, you might want to enter this one.. I'm curious to try this product. To win a straightener from Ozon Hair, go to Look What Mom Found!

Mmm.. Babybjorn! To win a Potty Chair from Babybjorn, go to Two of a Kind.

To win a $25 gift card from The Baby's Bundle, go to Two of a Kind!

To win a Mommy Necklace (these are great!) go visit Greek Momma - she's the BEST :) Also - if you become a follower of her blog because of this entry, please let me know! Leave a comment here!

Smartipants

So I am finally getting around to writing my Smartipants review!

Smartipants is a 2-piece diaper system. From their website: "Smartipants™ diapers feature our Leak-Guard Technology, keeping moisture contained, and your baby dry. Our diapers are made with “breathable” fibers and are free from any chemicals or irritants. Smartipants™ reusable diapers are designed to grow with your baby from newborn to toddler, babies 7lbs - 35lbs. "

Customer Service: The customer service at Smartipants is great! I haven't had a single problem that I've needed to contact them about, but I have heard terrific stories about how responsive they are. In fact, my Smartipants diaper was free. I won it through a giveaway on Twitter during our #clothdiapers chat one Monday evening (join us every week!)... shipping was super fast, especially considering that it was all FREE! How nice of them. Hopefully I will be able to host a Smartipants giveaway on my site in the future and give one of my readers the chance to win one of these terrific diapers.

Price: Smartipants are $14.95 apiece. For a terrific one-size diaper that will last from birth to potty training, this is a very modest price. I would say it's definitely a bargain, especially considering the value (which is AMAZING).

Fit: I have difficulty with my son and one size diapers. He's a VERY small and thin baby. (13 lbs 7 oz at 6 months) With Smartipants, there was not a lot of guesswork. It was pretty easy to find his size setting, and once I did - no issues! It's super cute on him too!

Absorbency: Li-bug is what we call a Super Soaker. Diapers get changed every 2 / 2.5 hours(this is probably why he stays so thin, haha!) ... Our Smartipants generally last on him for about 3 or 3.5 hours. This is TERRIFIC. When I'm taking him out to the store or somewhere, I usually slip on the Smartipants so I have less of a chance of having to change him.

What makes this diaper unique: The selling point of Smartipants is the patented "Smart Sleeve" - the pocket is open on both ends, allowing the insert to come out on its own in the wash! You know what this means for the average CD mama??! No pee-smell on your hands! You don't touch the insert! You know what it means for me? Eh... nothing, I hand wash ;p .. But it was SUPER convenient when we had an overnight at a friends house and she did my laundry while we slept. The only diapers were Prefolds and Smartipants so there was no icky urine disaster as a result of her not knowing what to do with inserts - it took care of itself!

Overall: I am extremely pleased with this diaper! It is absolutely one of my favorites and usually the first one I reach for! Great value for your money. I have recommended them to so many people and hopefully more of you will want to try them out!

And for the next 8 days, there is a terrific sale going on! 3-pack of Smartipants for $36.95! Head over to www.smartipants.com and check it out!

I'm still here!

Hi everyone, I'm still here, just on a short hiatus!

I'll be back to fill everyone in on my progress with CDs. I have a review for SMARTIPANTS and RUMPAROOZ coming soon, I've tried them both.

Life is just crazy right now - I'm preparing for my first semester as a prenursing student and just trying to get my life and my house in order.

I hope everyone is doing well!

In order to start some discussion, leave me a comment with your favorite nighttime cloth diaper - we're still in disposables for night time and I need some suggestions on how to ease my fears and get started in cloth overnight.

So leave me:

Your favorite night diaper:

How long it lasts (do you have to change it in the middle of the night?):

If you'd like, include a link!

Adventures...

First, let me start by saying that I LOVE my new Smartipants diaper! I will definitely be writing a review on it later today or tomorrow... so watch out for that!

This weekend, I headed to my hometown for some fun with a friend I met on my favorite

parenting website. We sadly did not get too much time together, but it was a great experience. My little boy loved her!

My trip, which was supposed to just be an afternoon/overnight, extended into a 3 day 2 night stay. Did I mention my hometown is a beach? =P The entire trip, Liam was in cloth diapers. I had no clue that I possessed enough diapers to accomodate this. But apparently I do - though I did wash (in a washer and dryer, that is a FIRST for me and my dipes!) overnight the last night.

My top moment: realizing that little bug had a wet diaper in the middle of the nice restaurant we were in, causing him to scream his head off. The torrential downpour outside coupled with the realization that the diaper bag was in the car put me in a bind. By some stroke of luck, I had a single prefold in my purse, and he had a cover on already. However, here are my confessions:

1. I have never used a prefold for anything other than stuffing a diaper or little gPant.

2. I own zero pins or snappis.

3. I do not know how to fold a prefold.

4. My poor baby....:

Little Bug ended up with a prefold shoved into the cover, sticking out everywhere and... oh man, it was just a mess. I thank my lucky stars that he didn't pee the whole rest of the time we were dining, because that was a disaster for sure.

I guess I should purchase some snappis and learn to master the art of the prefold. I have just been terrified of them, and have stuck with fitteds and All-in-Ones.

In diaper news:

The Rumparooz I ordered got switched with another order the same night. By some crazy stroke of luck, I received my friend's pink diaper and she received my Lil Monsters print. Just glad it wasn't a stranger or my adorable monster dipe would be lost. So I will hopefully be trying out this awesome-looking diaper and revewing in the next few weeks, once we have mailed these diapers out to each other.

Sewing is on a hold, I left my sewing machine at my "mother in law"s home a few weeks ago, hopefully I will get it back soon. My good friend over at Loving My Life as a Mommy and Wife, Madison, embellished some PFs and I'm jealous. I need to give it a try.

I will leave you with this adorable picture of Li-bug and my friend Nicolette on the beach:

Links & Sponsors

This entry is a placeholder :)

The Winner Is...

Danielle with this comment:

danielle said...

follow your blog!

Looks like we are getting Rumparooz!!! Congratulations Danielle!

3 Hour Giveaway!

I'm looking to expand my collection of cloth diapers as well as my blog followers! So I'm going to host a giveaway, starting now (9:30 PM EST) and ending at 12:00 AM EST tonight.

You can win 1 of your favorite cloth diaper  ... Just recommend to me what diaper I should buy, and I will purchase one for myself and one for you! 

Here's how you enter:

Leave a comment on this entry telling me what cloth diaper you recommend that I buy. Include a link! And include your e-mail address in your comment so I can contact you.

For bonus entries, here's what you can do (leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Become a follower of this blog.

2) Follow me on Twitter (@Lamere) and tweet this giveaway! Leave a comment with the permalink to your tweet.

3) Comment on any other entry in my blog and comment here with the title of that entry.

4) Put my button on your blog (you can grab the code to the left). Leave the URL to your blog.

The winner will be chosen by random.org ... have fun!

You Knew It Was Coming!

I have another post full of giveaways on the way... I hope these links are helpful to a few people. These are some great giveaways!

For a chance to win a Happy Heiny's Pocket Diaper:

I've been wanting to try a Happy Heiny's for a while now... so I'm super excited about this giveaway in particular. Head over to Look What Mom Found and enter her giveaway. Want to learn more about this awesome diaper? Visit Itty Bitty Baby Bunz! Good luck :)

For 3 Fuzzibunz Diapers:

Go to this site... it's easy to enter, no re-blogging required (I do this out of the goodness of my heart... haha!)

For a Go BPA Free Advanced Eating Kit:

Those of you with older babies should be excited about this... simply go to A Giveaway Addicted Mommy's blog to enter to win this awesome kit from The Soft Landing.

For a Babybonkie Swaddle Blanket:

Visit Mudpies and Maryjane... Liam stopped liking to be swaddled at about 10 weeks, but for those with tiny babies (and not-so-tiny babies...) who need more of these awesome "lazy swaddlers", this is a good giveaway.

For an amazing diaper caddy:

Again, no reposting required but this is too cool... HRM Parent. It's something I really need :)

And coming soon... A giveaway of my own!! Keep checking in, it should be posted by tonight :)

Diaper Number 2...

Did I promise an update about that 2nd diaper? I'm afraid it doesn't merit one, but here goes...

I will add pictures later, but for right now, I just don't feel like it ;p

This one is a fitted diaper, the inside layer is fleece and the outside is a cotton pirate print. I sewed in a soaker pad (poorly) that I made out of a cut-up Gerber Prefold. 

I royally messed up one side of the elastic, so the two sides are extremely uneven... but it's okay! Since I'm still just practicing and trying to get the hang of sewing diapers myself, I'm okay with messing up a few. The good news is, when I did the second side of elastic in the leg gussett, it turned out nearly perfect! The stretchiness is great and it seems like it will fit him (I haven't tried it on him yet... no velcro...). I think I am going to just stop using fleece though! Or at least the fleece I have.. it just seems so bulky. Maybe I am just making them too small, though. I'll have to experiment and see. 

I accidentally left my sewing machine at my mother-in-law's house, though, so I haven't been able to put the velcro on yet.

I'm getting better at this... but -

Anyone have any tips for sewing a diaper?

More Giveaways From Upstate ;)

So I am going to attempt Diaper # 2 today, so my blog will be more substantial than links to giveaways... but hey, what is more useful than constant linking to giveaways? I know I love to stumble across them!

This is, again, from one of my newfound favorite blogs... Our Life Upstate. She offers many ways to gain extra entries (have you guessed that this is one of them?), but there's no grueling hard work required, I promise.

This giveaway ends tomorrow, so this time I have given you a little more time than 20 minutes ;)

For a chance to win an Apple Cheeks Diaper System, head on over to Our Life Upstate. If you're super nice, you'll tell her who sent you ;p

I Am So Excited To Bring You...

Another Giveaway!

This one comes from Newly Wed, Newly Bred... a fantastic blog! I suggest you follow her blog and keep an eye out for future giveaways...

She is giving away all sorts of wonderful things from Bummis! Head on over to win!

Another Awesome Giveaway! Fuzzibunz!

Q: Interested in winning a one size diaper from Fuzzibunz? 

A: Of course you are!

This giveaway ends in 20 minutes... go check it out! Hurry hurry! It's on another mommy-blog that I really enjoy reading... Our Life Upstate!

bumGenius Deluxe Bamboo Fitted

Yesterday I received the BG bamboo fitted diaper. I was instantly in love - it's super soft, softer than my favorite fleece. 

I used a simple Kushies wrap over it. Liam is a frequent wetter so I changed him after two hours. There was not a single leak. The Kushies did its job as well.

I noticed that his skin was slightly wrinkled (like when you soak in a bathtub) so even though 2 hours isn't terribly long to go without a diaper change, I worry about his skin being next to moisture for that long. I love the diaper and I'm hoping that he was just a super soaker at that moment because I'd really like to use it without worrying about Liam's skin puckering.

You can purchase this diaper at Cotton Babies for 12.95... great deal :)

The fit was terrific, and I could tell my little guy was super comfortable in his new diaper. It was snug around the legs so I could breathe easy knowing that we were not going to end up with wet thighs!

The diaper seemed to have the perfect absorbency right where he needed it the most. I definitely would like to stock up on some more of these!

Liam in his BG!

And with the Kushies... :)

Useful Link...

For a list of over 40 giveaways, go to Two Of A Kind.

=]

A little update...

So, about that diaper I made yesterday...

It held up overnight! There was a small leak through to the cotton outer, but it didn't get Liam's clothes or the bed (we co-sleep, so thank heavens for that)... he is SUCH a heavy wetter at night, so this gives me a little hope if my deformed diaper holds up.

Someone had told me that the fleece would be an adequate waterproof barrier... should I have taken that advice, or was I wrong to make such a BULKY diaper (after the PF insert is put in.. I'll have to make a trimmer insert) because it would just require a cover? What do you all think?
I think since it performed so well at night, it would make a perfect day diaper with zero leaks probably...

I made my first cloth diaper today :)

Okay... the outside is blue checkered-type cotton, the inside is 2 layers of fleece with a pocket.





That's the outside... notice how the elastic is barely stretchy (I will do better next time! I promise!)


The inside.. you can see the pocket in the first one.

I should have gotten a picture of how HILARIOUS it looks around the pocket! Haha...

I figured what better way to teach myself how to sew than to jump right in?

I didn't put the other velcro tab on yet because I ran out of thread and (as you can tell from the pics) DS needed to nurse... sorry for the horrible pictures, my camera charger is MIA and so is my boyfriend's camera, so I had to web cam it...

More Giveaways!

Ready for more chances to win beautiful diapers or other products for your family?

For a chance to win the Simply Clean FUN Giveaway -

This includes detergent made by Jenny over at Jenny's Simply Clean. It is homemade, natural, and comes in about half a billion amazing sounding scents... including Birthday Cake! To enter, visit Monkeys on the Bed! 

To win (1) Baby Beehinds OS Fitted, (1) Thirsties Cover, and (12) Kissaluvs Wipes-

Visit The Cloth Diaper Whisperer for the current Fluff Friday giveaway!

For a chance to win any (1) item under $15 from Snugs Boutique:

Visit Emily's Latest! For more information, visit Snugs Boutique on the web. If only I wasn't over budget... they have snap presses for you DIY moms!

To win a KCK ONE cloth diaper!

Visit Monkey Toes Reviews & Giveaways. To learn more about this awesome WAHM-made diaper, visit Purple Ducks and Stuff!

To Win one of the NEW Rocky Mountain Diapers:

Visit Diaper Style! This diaper is the first RMD in print - Moovin' Lemon! It's an adorable cow print for your fluff butt :)

Some Giveaways...

There are some awesome giveaways floating around out there right now!

Win THREE Fuzzibunz Cloth Diapers!
For a review of the Fuzzibun diapering system and details on the giveaway, visit Two of a Kind. 

For more information on Fuzzibunz, go to the Fuzzibunz website.

Win a FREE Applecheeks Cloth Diaper!

For a review on the Applecheeks cloth diapers, visit 

Two of a Kind.
For more information on Applecheeks diapers, visit Applecheeks.

Win TWO Wahmies One Size Diapers!

Follow Diapershops on Twitter.

Win one Gro Baby Diaper System Experience Kit!

Follow Diapershops on Twitter.

Win TWO Bumgenius Diapers:

Join 

Diapershops on Facebook and find the update that says to leave 2 sentences or less about why you CD.

Follow This Blog for a chance to win the following:

1-Baby Beehinds One Size Diaper (hemp or bamboo)

1-Thirsties Diaper Cover

12-Kissaluvs Premium Print Wipes

For a chance to win one of three SWIM DIAPERS:

Getting the Word out.

I know that my blog is new and has approximately... zero readers... but here's hoping that I get a few clicks from Twitter and a couple of you click the follow button over there on the left <---.

Came across 

this (that's right, click it) when strolling through various cloth diaper giveaways, and it made me glad that I started this already - now just to get the word out.

If you have a blog and focus your entries around cloth diapering, leave a link in the comments and I will link your blog in my sidebar.. .if you have a button, leave me the code!

Huggabuns Ultra Pocket with Hemp Insert

 Here's my Liam in his new cloth diaper. It's a  Huggabuns Ultra Pocket with Hemp Insert. I'd have to say, we used it once so far... but I really like it. The fleece lining is so soft I wanted to cuddle with it. Liam seemed to enjoy it too. I'll bet his bum was so comfortable in this diaper!

Here's my dumb secret that I just learned I was doing wrong today: As a complete noob to cloth diapers, I didn't realize that you have to wash inserts and prefolds several times before using in order to make them absorbant enough. 

So, I didn't wash the hemp insert, just stuck it in the pocket and put it on my little guy. A few hours later, I am utterly confused. In a disposable, Liam would have been wailing for a diaper change by now - he HATES being wet. So I take a chance and take the diaper off. The fleece seems dry... I open the pocket and sure enough, the hemp insert is soaked. It was still super absorbant though, even though I didn't wash it first.

The outer layer is amazing. When they say waterproof, they mean it. NO leaks.

I hand-wash my diapers and hang dry them, and both cover and insert dried super fast.

I am loving cloth diapers... and I definitely love the Huggabuns! I will have to buy a few more pairs once I get through my "test" phase.

My first sling!

I made my first pouch sling today. Nothing spectacular... just an old t-shirt I used to love and couldn't bear to part with by way of garbage...

There's Liam in the "Kangaroo" hold.

And in the "Cradle" hold!

Okay... so my secret is: The sling was a FLOP! Haha... the t-shirt I used was made of stretchy material. Not a good idea! i'll try again later.. I'm in the process of getting rid of lots of clothing I don't fit/wear anymore.

First Post!

I am a 20 year old mother making the plunge into the world of cloth diapering. I plan on using this blog to chronicle my frustrations and successes as I discover the right path for me and my now 4 month old son. 

He was born January 13, 2009... we started him off in gDiapers using the flushable inserts but I was having a very difficult time with breastfeeding and dealing with Post Partum Depression that I gave up. 

I now have him back in the gDiapers, using both flushies and prefolds as inserts. I'm slowly building a stash of different types of cloth diapers to test the waters. 

I plan on eventually making my own diapers and covers, so look out for video posts.

This blog isn't going to be exclusively cloth diapers though. My overall goal is to create a healthier, more natural and cost-efficient environment for my family and I. 

There will also be no lack of contests and giveaways, mostly other peoples' for now, and my own once I have something to.. give away :)

Contact Information

To get in touch with me, you can simply leave a comment on my most recent entry or:

Send me an e-mail at defilippo.christine@gmail.com or through my Blogger account.

Follow me on Twitter (@Lamere).

If you would like me to review your product, please only contact me through e-mail.