Discovering The Me in Mommy

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

A Winner!

We have a winner -- Congrats, Jessica!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Knickernappies Review and Giveaway!

The Knickernappies One Size Side Snap Pocket Diaper is wonderful! It stuffed like a normal pocket diaper; there is elastic in the outside cover as well as the lining in the "pocket." I made it a "medium size" and had no problems with leaks. I can see how it could be more bulky for newborns -- I'd have to give you an update on this later; since my daughter is on the older and leaner side, we had no problems fitting into her regular sized pants.

Knickernappies One-Size Pocket Diapers have some great features:

Four size adjustments to fit your baby best -- Small, Medium Short, Medium, and Large
Tested to fit babies from about 8 lbs to 40 lbs
Two microfiber inserts with every diaper, sizes small and large, and the inserts are Made in the USA!
A scooped tummy panel and topstitching for best fit under chubby baby bellies
Elastic on both sides of the pocket opening to hold the insert in place
Very gentle Lastin elastic in the leg and waist - no red marks!
Lastin elastic is long lasting and can't "go out" like regular elastic
Two Year Guarantee on elastic and snaps.

our perfect fit!

And I totally agree with Knickernappies -- what they've promoted proved true for us. And I've heard that when we start potty training, this diaper can also function as trainers, with the child being able to pull it down and up again. My favorite things about Knickernappies are the super soft lining, gentle elastic, fun colors, and one-size fit. Some have found the side snaps awkward, but it didn't bother me at all. I give it a 10!

This review and giveaway is provided by The Stork Wearhouse, a WAHM-owned and run store based in Prairie City, Iowa. It specializes in modern cloth diapers, baby carriers, and other natural parenting products. You will find a great selection and pricing, as there are Facebook specials every Friday -- I just got 15% off my order this past Friday!

She also has great information on her website. There's Cloth Diaper 101 for novices and those interested in knowing more about cloth diapers -- she also has her own chart for how much money is saved using cloth, a lot more accurate than my estimation!

There is also a new rewards program for, obviously, your purchases. But you can also earn point by posting reviews on their website, "liking" on Facebook, and recommending friends. You can read more about MyRewards here.

But It!
You can purchase a Knickernappies One-Size Side Snap Pocket Diaper from The Stork Wearhouse for $19.95

Win It!
Amanda at The Stork Wearhouse is giving away a Knickernappies One-Size Pocket diaper! This is open to U.S. To enter, you must be a Facebook Fan of Discovering the Me in Mommy and Facebook fan of The Stork Wearhouse! This is required and must be done before the extra entries count! PLEASE leave your name and email address with your entry.

Extra Entries!
You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do along with you email address.

1- For ONE extra entry, Be a Google Friend Connect Follower (and you don't have to be a blogger to sign up)

2- For ONE extra entry, Follow me on twitter and tweet "I’m entering to #win a #clothdiaper from @knickernappies, & @DiscoveringTheM: http://tinyurl.com/4qebytj "

3 - For ONE extra entry, Subscribe to The Storksblog!

4-For ONE extra entry, Subscribe to my blog via email.

5 - For ONE extra entry, Post by blog or event button and tell me where I'll find it.

6 - For ONE extra entry, Tell me your favorite color choice!

Contest ends at 10pm EST on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address in your entry. I will notify the winner, and s/he will have 36 hours to respond!

****This is not a paid post. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to Amanda at The Stork Wearhouse for the review and giveaway products!****

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Valentine's Day -- yes, no, maybe?!?

During the different seasons of my life, my attitude and perspective on Valentine's Day has varied. When I was younger and probably more cynical about love, I would joke with my friends about "Singles' Awareness Day," for obvious reasons! Strange how self-deprecation seemed to help the situation. Later on, while in the dating/honeymoon season of life, Valentine's Day was the typical, romantic, rose-colored holiday. But as I think about it today, Valentine's Day is just a nice reminder to let the people who you love, who also love you, know just how valuable they are to you. It's not about romance, but true appreciation and love, whichever form that love appears in. I do like the roses that my husband will buy, though honestly, it's not necessary to spend extravagantly -- but I look at Valentine's Day as a celebration of thanksgiving for all the love I have in my life.

This was part of the Blog Dare Prompt My thoughts on Valentine's Day.

Thirsties Duo Diaper Review and Giveaway

I've heard a bit about Thirsties and was excited about the fun colors and designs! I've also enjoyed learning about the company. (From the promotional material) Thirsties® is a small (but growing!) cloth diaper company committed to greener parenting and Eco Friendly solutions, not to mention 100% USA Made quality! Erin, founder of Thirsties, started this business with an old sewing machine and $100 5 years ago. Through her hard work and diligence, the company is now one of the leaders in the cloth diaper industry. The diapers are now made by work at home mothers, and very close to our warehouse, reducing our carbon output. Customer service reps are also experienced cloth diapering moms, and offer knowledge to retailers and customers alike. Thirsties provides a variety of products for your diapering needs; catalogs are available for your perusal.

I was sent the Duo Diaper with Aplix (velcro) tabs to review, ~~but the Duo Diaper does come with snaps~~ I apologize for projecting new design concepts -- the snaps are on the Wraps! The Duo Diaper comes in two sizes: size one (6-18 lbs.) and size two (18-40 lbs.), with an adjustable rise for a custom fit. I was in love with the Blackbird pattern and the two openings of the soft, microfleece pocket (making it a sleeve). I also liked how the two inserts (two layers of serged microfiber terry and five serged layers of hemp jersey) snapped together, and because of the "sleeve" construction, the insert does not need to be removed from the diaper before loading into the washer (although I have no problem removing it before)! There's also really cool leg gussets (that work like a trough), to keep messes in -- we did have an issue with an explosion, but that was after the diaper had been washed twice, as you need to wash it 3-4 times to really get normal absorption.

The fit of the diaper was a little bit disappointing. I couldn't get the top to cinch as neatly as some of the other diapers -- perhaps I would have done better with snaps. But that did not inhibit the function of the diaper -- since the early blowout, we haven't had any leakage issues! It's comfortable to my daughter -- no tight leg marks. Overall, I give it an 9 out of 10!

Buy It!
You can purchase a Duo Diaper for $18.50 each for solids or $19.50 each for prints.

Win It!

Thirsties is giving away a Duo Diaper! This is open to U.S. and Canada. To enter, you must be a GFC follower and comment with the Duo Diaper size and color you'd choose if you won! This is required and must be done before the extra entries count! PLEASE leave your name and email address with your entry.

EXTRA ENTRIES!

You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do along with you email address.

1- For ONE extra entry, Like Discovering the Me in Mommy on Facebook.

2- For ONE extra entry, Follow me on twitter and tweet "I’m entering to #win a #clothdiaper from @thirstiesinc, & @DiscoveringTheM: http://bit.ly/h0eOiL "

3 - For ONE extra entry, Follow Thirsties on Facebook.

4 - For ONE extra entry, Enter any other active giveaways.

5 - For ONE extra entry, Subscribe to my blog via email.

Contest ends at 10pm EST on Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2011 when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address in your entry. I will notify the winner, and s/he will have 36 hours to respond!

****This is not a paid post. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to Thirsties who supplied the products for the review and giveaway!****

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Friday Follow, Elmo's Birthday, and Low Entry Linky!

The birthday wishes to Elmo are a day late, but I'm sure my daughter would be thrilled to celebrate with him!

And I'm thrilled to host my first event:

I hope you'll enjoy your visit! And check out the low entry giveaways below! =)

Previously Stephanie from The Ten Talents' shared her Low Entry Lowdown, but she's no longer doing that. So I'd like to list a few low entry giveaways (less than 100 entries) which end in the next 2 weeks. Feel free to add and share!

Add your low-entry giveaways, ending in the next two weeks here!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Ice, Ice Baby

Mother-ease One Size System Review and Giveaway

It's here -- my first event! I never thought I'd be trying and actually liking cloth diapers, and you can read more about my cloth diaper story here (and the end is yet to be written...).
Discovering the Me in Mommy

I'm thrilled to present you with a short series of cloth-related reviews and giveaways! First up, Mother-ease!

Many people cloth diaper to save money and that does pique my interest in cloth diapers. I've heard that Mother-ease's One Size Cloth Diapers provides one of the best opportunities to save because the cover can be used 3-4 times (if not too smelly) before needing laundering, and the diaper itself is adjustable from 8-35 pounds, and worn under sized waterproof covers. The diaper comes in four varieties: stay dry, organic cotton terry, bamboo terry, and cotton terry. I received the unbleached cotton diaper, with unbleached snap-in liner, and air-flow cover for the review. At first I was nervous about learning how to adjust the diaper, since it didn't seem as simple as a pocket, but it really is easy -- and there's even a diagram enclosed with the packaging for reference.

I was actually surprised at how easy it was to use -- I snapped on the terry diaper, and then snapped on the air-flow cover! Done! And my daughter loved the pandas on the cover!

We had no issues with leaks -- the snap-in liner provides even more protection. The air-flow cover has adjustable snaps, which allows some air to circulate inside; it was soft and not "plasticy"! Although, the diaper and cover was a bit bulky.

One of the main reasons I asked to review this Mother-ease One Size Cloth Diaper System is because of its calculated savings. Below is a graph of calculated savings with 24 One Size diapers, 12 snap-in liners, and 12 air-flow covers (4 covers in 4 sizes), from http://www.mother-ease.com/cloth-diapers/Savings.

Overall, I give it a 9 out of 10! It's functional, but a bit bulky and not as visually striking as other brands. But if cost saving is your number one priority, this is the way to go! Mother-ease also carries an All-In-One Diaper as well as their Sandy's Fitted.

BUY IT!!
You can purchase a Mother-ease One Size Cloth Diaper System for $26.80 -- there is also a special Mother-ease Introductory Offer at 30% off discount!

WIN IT!!
Mother-Ease is giving away a One Size System! This is open to U.S. and Canada. To enter, you must be a GFC follower and comment on your favorite Air Flow Cover! This is required and must be done before the extra entries count! PLEASE leave your name and email address with your entry.

EXTRA ENTRIES!
You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do along with you email address.

1- For ONE extra entry, Like Discovering the Me in Mommy on Facebook.

2- For ONE extra entry, Follow me on twitter and tweet "I’m entering to #win a #clothdiaper from @Motherease & @DiscoveringTheM: http://bit.ly/ertCCP"

3 - For ONE extra entry, Follow Mother-ease on Facebook.

4 - For ONE extra entry, Sign up for the Mother-ease Cloth Diaper Forum.

5 - For ONE extra entry, Subscribe to my blog via email.

6 - For ONE extra entry, Post my blog or event button and let me know where it's posted.

Contest ends at 10pm EST on Monday , February 28, 2011 when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address in your entry. I will notify the winner, and s/he will have 36 hours to respond!

****This is not a paid post. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to Mother-ease who supplied the products for the review and giveaway!****

Children's Place - Clearance $2.99!

Hurry on over -- lots of great deals in the Final Clearance Blowout! Start getting presents ready for next year!

Go through ShopAtHome for cash back too!

Thoughtful Living Tuesday

I confess; I'm a snacker. I'm not one to ever skip meals because I hate feeling hungry; thus, I snack. Often I choose crackers, cheese, fruit, or cookies, and looking back (now that our Daniel Fast is over), I choose to reward myself with cookies much too often. The little one would do something well, and I'd reward her with a cookie; then I'd rationalize that I had also done a good job being home, and I needed a cookie! On the first day of the fast, I quickly realized how much of an emotional eater I am (and I still exhibited those traits on the fast too, dreaming of my cookies as I ate my peanuts and almonds).

Another thing I learned were healthy, creative homemade snacks! While we were on the fast, Kristin Feola provided lots of great recipes, some which we'll continue to utilize and adapt back to "normal" food, like her Baked Oatmeal. Speaking of great resources on healthy recipes, check out the $5 Dinner Mom (and my giveaway of The $5 Dinner Mom's Breakfast and Lunch Cookbook, with special snack recipes)!

Anything, whether food or activity, can become a detriment to your best life if its uncontrolled. I've decided to be more disciplined about my snacking, remembering to reach for the wheat crackers, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and nuts first, and OCCASIONALLY the cookies!