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24 February, 2011

$120 Cloth Diaper Package Giveaway - Bumgenius, Flip, Fuzzibunz, Kissaluvs, Thirsties, Grovia, Planet Wise (CLOSED 3/10)

cloth diaper package giveaway


As promised, I'm offering up an awesome cloth diaper package, to celebrate 1,000 GFC Followers, RSS Feed Subscribers, Facebook "likers" and Twitter Followers!  Someday, I hope to have 1,000 email subscribers too!  I feel so blessed to have made so many friends through cloth diapers, I've gotten to try lots of great products, and I hope I've helped a few of you as well.
 
All items pictured are my own, just to show what is included in the packageThe winner will choose colors/prints, closures, sizes and inserts where applicable.
 
bumgenius 4.0 diaper
 
First up is a Bumgenius 4.0 diaper in choice of color/print and closure.  (ARV $17.95-$19.95)
 
fuzzibunz perfect size


Next, a Fuzzibunz Perfect Size diaper in choice of size and color (ARV $17.95)
 
flip diaper and organic insert

A Flip diaper cover and insert in choice of color and insert (ARV $16.95-$19.95.)
 
kissaluvs fitted diaper


A Kissaluvs Kissa's Cotton Fleece Fitted in choice of size and color (ARV $13.95-$14.95.)
 
GroVia cloth wipes

A 12-pack of GroVia cloth wipes (ARV $10.95.)
 
Thirsties Booty Luster


A 4 ounce bottle of Thirsties Booty Luster (ARV $6.25.)

Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag
 
and finally, a Planet Wise Wet or Wet/Dry Bag in your choice of size and color (ARV $9.50-$29.99.)
 
The combined value of this package is $93.50-$119.99, depending on the winner's choices.  All values listed are based on current retail prices at my Affiliate, Kelly's Closet.  In addition to my usual giveaway rules, I reserve the right to make substitutions in the event that an item becomes unavailable, and I will ask for a first and second color choice for each item.  I also reserve the right to purchase the items at the reputable online cloth diaper retailer of my choice, including my affiliate, Diaper Junction, or one or more of my favorite cloth diaper stores! 


Here's how to enterAll entries go in the form below.  I love comments (great way to remind yourself that you entered) but comments do not count as entries.


Due to the nature and value of this giveaway, there are a few more entry options than usual, and the giveaway will run longer than usual.


The mandatory entries include your name and email address.


Bonus entries:


  1. Follow this blog - You choose how you prefer to stay updated on new posts, including Google Friend connect, RSS, email subscription, "liking" me on Facebook or following me on Twitter.  I'd love for you to "follow me" everywhere, but you receive only one bonus entry.  Just let me know which method you've chosen.
  2. Tweet - One time only please.  Leave a link to your tweet.  You may use this if you like: #win a $120 #clothdiapers package from @chgdiapers.  This #clothdiaper #giveaway will build your stash! http://bit.ly/eG65zS
  3. Blog about this giveaway and link back to me.  If you do not have a blog, you may post in a relevant online forum or group, just leave me a link.
  4. Grab my Button on the left sidebar.  Leave me a link where I can find it!
Please fill out the form only once.  You don't need to submit it separately for each entry.  If you forget something, just send me an email or use my contact form!


I will accept entries until Thursday, March 10th, 2011 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern. I will select a winner using random.org's true random number generator and notify him/her by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen. View my giveaway rules page for complete details.


This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.  Please note that this giveaway is not endorsed by, sponsored by or affiliated with any cloth diaper company, manufacturer or retailer. 



# of Entries received as of Giveaway close: 1081




FTC compliance: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.

23 October, 2010

Kissaluvs Fitted Winners

kissaluvs winner

119 people entered the main giveaway, for a total of 263 entries.

kissaluvs winner 2

18 people entered the bonus giveaway, for a total of 39 entries.

The winner of the main giveaway is #163, which is Jeanine.  The winner of the bonus giveaway is #10, which is Erika Frank-Poletto. 

Congratulations to the two winners, I'm emailing you both now!

16 October, 2010

Kissaluvs "Kissa's" Cotton Fleece Fitted Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 10/23)

kissaluvs 0 fitted


I reviewed a Kissaluvs Marvels AIO in May; that's still a favorite of mine, and my Kissa's Wool Lover Diaper Cover was my first ever wool (purchased in March.)  So, when I won a Kissa's Cotton Fleece Fitted from the Abby's Lane blog chat, I was a little excited, to say the least!!

kissa's fitted


Lucky for you, I contacted Kissaluvs, and they will be giving two of my blog readers a fitted diaper as well!

kissa's size 0 back


In true cloth diaper addict fashion, I chose the size 0 (fits approximately 5-15 lbs) even though I don't have a newborn, nor am I pregnant!  Hey, it was free!

snaps inner

 The size zero fits 5-15 pounds, the 1, 10-25 pounds, and the 2, 20-40 pounds.  All sizes retail for $12.95 in unbleached cotton, and $13.95 in the colors.  I chose the yellow.

Below, the size 0 is on top of the Marvels AIO on the small setting.

kissaluvs size 0 fitted vs marvels aio small


The size 0 has an umbilical cord snap down, but can also be used without it.  Below, it is measured with the snap down, then unsnapped and stretched.

folded with cord snap downunsnapped and stretched

Here is the fitted compared to a newborn disposable, and also unsnapped, compared to a size 1 disposable:

kissa's 0 vs newborn disposablekissa's 0 unsnapped vs size 1 disposable

Since I don't have a newborn, I had to enlist a model.  He's a little smaller than a newborn!

my diaper model


Here he is modeling a preemie newborn diaper, so you can get an idea of size:

preemie frontpreemie back

Newborn disposable:

newborn frontnewborn back

Size 1 disposable:

one frontone back

After all that, he said his hiney was itchy and he wanted to put the Kissa's fitted on!

kissaluvs 0 fitted diaperkissa's fitted 0

Much more comfy!!

It's a little subjective, but I'd say it fits more like a preemie diaper, though it looked similar to the newborn diaper.  My model isn't a very heavy wetter, so I can't really speak on the absorbency.  I haven't cloth diapered a newborn, but I imagine fitteds would be great.  They are breathable and could likely be used coverless, since newborns tend to dirty diapers as soon as you put them on (mine did anyway!)

Giveaway: Kissaluvs is offering two diaper giveaways, which will be drawn separately.  Winners choose size and color of a Kissa's Fitted!  The first is open to anyone and will be business as usual.  The second diaper will be drawn from entrants who already own a Kissaluvs product, and leave a review(s) of it.


Here's how to enter: Anyone is eligible to win the first diaper. To enter, simply fill out the form below.  Mandatory entries include name, email address and your favorite Kissaluvs Product.  You may receive a bonus entry for "liking" Kissaluvs on Facebook and/or following Kissaluvs on Twitter.  Feel free to leave a comment however, comments don't count as entries.


Entries for the second diaper will go on the same form, but will be tallied and drawn separately from the first.  This way everyone gets the same shot at the first one! Reviews can be left at diaperpin, amazon, sears, Kissaluvs' Facebook Page, or your favorite retailer's website.  One entry per review, link to your review to get your entry!


I know this is a little more confusing than usual, so just send me an email if you need clarification!  The post will be updated daily (or so) with the # of entries for each.


I will accept entries until Saturday, October 23rd 2010 at 9 P.M. Eastern.  I will select winners using random.org's true random number generator and notify them by email.  Winners have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen.  View my giveaway rules page for complete details.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Entries as of Giveaway close: 263

Entries in the bonus giveaway: 39





FTC Compliance: No compensation of any kind was received for this post.  I won the diaper I reviewed from a Kissaluvs retailer.  All opinions are my own.

30 September, 2010

Sharing my lucky streak!

kushies kritter

I had sort of been feeling sorry for myself because I had entered so many giveaways and never won.  You know the feeling, you’re happy for the winners but wonder when it will be your turn!  Shortly after that, my luck changed and I started winning, so I wanted to share with you what I won!

July 28th-$20 Abby’s Lane gift certificate from Show Your Amor (bought a Bumgenius Elemental, watch for the review next month!)

bumgenius aio diaper


August 3rd-Mother-Ease reusable shopping bag-Facebook win (I’m keeping my Boba Carrier in this, but it makes a great shopping bag because it has a drawstring.  Plus, I maybe someone will comment on the cloth diaper logo and I can bring them over to the dark side tell them about my cloth diaper addiction habit use!

mother-ease


August 12th-Yummy Dough from The Simple Things

August 16th-Kushies Kritter-Facebook Win

kushies kushies
kushies kushies
kushies kushies

August 24th- Unwind beverage from My Life as Married Girl and Mommy

September 1st-Knickernappies 2G pocket diaper from http://www.theclothdiaperreport.com/

knickernappies diaper


September 20th-Knickernappies 2G pocket diaper from Earth Angels Diaper Co. on their blog.  Since I was lucky enough to win the same diaper twice, one courtesy of Knickernappies/The Cloth Diaper Report, and the other from Earth Angels, watch for a giveaway of the second one next month!

September 21st-Kissaluvs Fitted from The Abby's Lane’s blog chat giveaways!  Watch for a review of this next month, along with a giveaway (with two winners!) sponsored by Kissaluvs!

kissaluvs diaper


So, it does pay to enter!  I hope some of my readers are winning a few of the giveaways I post on the Friday roundup!!  Get ready to enter a whole lot of great fluff giveaways here during the Year of Fluff event in October!!

20 September, 2010

Mailbox Mondays 9/20/10

email me


Every Monday I will answer user submitted questions. They don't have to be about cloth diapering! I'll always answer questions via email, but if you would like your question to be answered in a Mailbox Mondays post, send an email with the subject "Mailbox Mondays" to Maria at change-diapers dot com.

Please note: My intent is to get a queue of questions for the next several months, so it may be some time before your submission is posted. If you would like me to email my response so you don't have to wait until your question is posted, let me know!

Kristina says:

Hi, I am interested in trying out Wool Covers. What can you tell me about them in terms of care and usage. Thanks!



Kristina
 
Wool is fantastic!  I was initially a little afraid of wool, but it was so much easier to take care of than I imagined.  I have Kissaluvs, a Mobums and a Little Beetle cover.  The Mobums review has step by step photos demonstrating how I wash the covers.
 
I rarely have to wash them, you know you need to when they start hanging on to a urine smell (or if they are soiled.)  Otherwise, just air them out between uses. 
 
I use liquid lanolin that I found at my local organic store to lanolize when they don't seem to be as absorbent, but there are any number of lanolizing products out there.  Using a lanolin containing wash (like Eucalan) will greatly reduce the frequency with which you need to lanolize.
 
Wool was my lifesaver (over a super-absorbent fitted) for night time, when my son was a super soaker!
 
Does this answer your questions?  What else do you want to know?  How about my readers?  Do you use wool?

Crystal says:

Maria,



I have been having stink issues with my hemp gDiaper inserts. I have tried just about everything, including stripping multiple times, a little bit of bleach in the wash, I switched to Rockin Green detergent, and I wash at least every 2 days. And I have tried sunning (all day in Florida heat) when I have the time, which I try to find the time at least once a week. The smell isn't ammonia, it's just a funkiness, and it comes out of the washer and dryer smelling this way. We have no rash problems cropping up, just the smell. Any ideas on something else to try?

Thanks,

Crystal
 
What have you been using to strip?  It seems that sometimes adding things make stinkies worse.  I would try running the inserts through several cycles on hot, with water only; no detergent or additives.  See if you are getting any suds or residue in the water.
 
I know you said you already tried bleach, but after you've made certain they are rinsed clean, try 1/4 cup of bleach in the bleach dispenser with only the inserts in the wash.
 
Do you have hard water?  It may be mineral deposits causing the funk.  Try the Rockin' Green hard rock if you haven't already, or try adding calgon water softener.
 
Sorry I wasn't more help, you have tried most of what I would have done already!

24 June, 2010

Favorite things "mini stash" giveaway - 3 diapers CLOSED


I've said before how I wish I were wealthy, so I could send each of my readers a package with one of each of my favorite diapers.  Unfortunately for all of you (and me too), I'm not.  I have however, gotten lots of great stuff because of this blog, and I just earned my first little bit of money.  None of that would be possible without you.

So, I decided to pay it forward and offer one blog reader a "mini stash" of three of my favorite diapers.  Here's the deal: This is just three of the diapers I like a lot.  I have other favorites too.  I don't want my other diapers to be sad that these three were getting special attention! 


You'll notice they are all snap closure diapers.  That may seem strange since you probably know that I prefer aplix/Velcro for ease of use and adjustability. Unfortunately, I don't have a single Velcro diaper that hasn't given me some kind of trouble, usually from the aplix itself.  It either immediately won't stick to the laundry tabs, sticks too much and is difficult to remove, or is good initially but poops out over time.  Also, my son has discovered the Velcro, so now as soon as I close a diaper, I hear "rrriiiipppppp."  Hee hee.


Here's how it's going to work: Follow the "rules" at the bottom of the post as usual to get your entries.  I've taken photos of my own diapers for this post, but the winner will choose their own.  I buy them and have them shipped to you.  The winner will give me a first and second color choice for each item!

As of now, I'm planning to buy from Diaper Junction, but I reserve the right to change my place of purchase based on availability, price, or my whim.  :-)  Diaper Junction is one of a few online stores I like to buy from; they're usually the second place I look, if my first choice is out of stock or doesn't sell the item I'm looking for.  They have a good selection and are usually well stocked.  You have to spend $75 to get free shipping, but their shipping rates are very reasonable.  You don't have to pay $5 or $10 flat rate shipping charges for one item. 


The winner will get one Kissaluvs Marvels AIO, one Flip Diaper with stay dry insert, and one Smartipants diaper (insert included).


My Kissaluvs diaper was one I was blessed to receive as a review diaper.  Click that link to read my full review.  I haven't quite been using my diaper for two months, but it quickly became a favorite.


It's an all in one diaper, but the insert is only sewn at one end.  When I wash it, it turns completely inside out for thorough washing and faster drying.  I haven't had any stink issues, but the design would make it easy to remove the insert if you had to, and use it as a pocket diaper, or replace the insert.


The Marvels AIO is one size by way of a snap down rise (my favorite) has the microfleece inner I prefer and has an easy snap setup.  It fits wonderfully and doesn't leak.  It's one of a few that I would grab if we were going out or if my son was getting ready to nap.  It's a little pricier than some others, but definitely not the most expensive.


I bought my Flip when the Bumgenius spend $10 get a free AIO coupon was out.  Again, you can click that link to read my full review. 


The flip is a hybrid or an all-in-two, depending on who you talk to.  You can get stay dry, organic, or disposable inserts for it.  Pairing the flip with inserts (changing the cover only when soiled, wiping between uses) or prefolds can be a very affordable way to get started in cloth.


Again, it has a snap down rise to make it one size, and an easy snap closure.  I only have the one insert, so after I've used it, I use the cover with my fitteds.  It's trimmer than a true cover would be, but it still works fine.  It fits great, doesn't leak and again, it's one I reach for if my son may be in it for a while.


I've been using my Smartipants diaper for over six months now.  Initially, I wasn't that impressed.  It's not that I didn't like it, I just thought that it wasn't that great.  It didn't seem like anything special, and it was only $3 cheaper than the Bumgenius 3.0, but didn't include a doubler.

The Smartipants is the perfect example of why I give things a good use, trying not to make a judgment based on initial impressions.  I also think it's smart to try different things, rather than put all your "eggs" in one basket.  You never really know what you will like, or how your feelings will change over time!


The common theme here of course is that it's one size via a snap down rise, has a simple snap layout, fits well and seems to be leak proof.  In fact, I keep this diaper upstairs, and if it's clean, it's the first one I put on my son in the morning.


I just took this photo, so this is what it looks like after 6 months of nearly daily use!  What's unique about this diaper is that the insert goes under more of a patch of fabric than a pocket.  It has openings at the front and back, and the insert agitates out in the wash.  With my other pocket diapers, I pull the inserts out before I put them in my wet bag, so I can just dump it in the washer on wash day (don't want to touch them again, ick!)  This one, I can put directly in the wet bag.

So, there you have it.  A few of the diapers I reach for first, just don't tell the others they're my "favorites!"

Here's how to enter to win one of each, in your choice of color (subject to availability, I reserve the right to make substitutions):

Do any or all of the below.  Leave a comment for each entry.  Be sure to leave your email address in at least one of your comments, if it isn't visible in your profile.  This giveaway may seem swayed toward my followers since I'm offering some extra entries for using my button, adding me to your blogroll etc.  That's because it is.  I want everyone to enter (hence the easy peasy entry as always) but hey, I want to encourage people to keep coming back and give my loyal readers a good chance to win!

1. Leave me a comment.  Anything you'd like to say.  What's your favorite diaper?  What's the first cloth diaper you used?  Have your likes changed over time?  What would you like to see me review or give away?  Do you like how I run my giveaways?  Any other entry options you'd like to see?  Are there too many? You don't have to answer all that, just some ideas of what to talk to me about!
2. Follow my blog.  Your choice of Google friend connect, RSS feed or email.
5. Tweet about this giveaway and include a link.  One tweet per day please.  I go back and forth on whether to allow tweeting more often, but I don't want people to associate my "name" with annoying giveaway tweets, nor do I want to make it too confusing!  You may use this tweet if you like: kissaluvs, flip and smartipants #clothdiaper #giveaway from @chgdiapers. Build your stash! Ends 7/8 http://bit.ly/aC6UYz
6. Blog about this giveaway and link back here.
7. Grab my button and tell me where to find it.  (Put it in a highly visible area somewhere on the main page of your blog for this entry.  Sidebar etc.  If it's on a harder to find page, you qualify for the blog roll entry only.)
8. List me on your blog roll, leave me a link to it.

I will accept entries until Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 9 P.M., Eastern.  I'll select a winner with random.org's true random number generator and notify the winner by email.  The winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen.

Please note that this giveaway is not approved by, endorsed by or affiliated with the above diaper companies, or any diaper retailer.

Quick reminders to please send me a message if you'd like to be listed on my blogroll or if you have a link that should be included on my link page, or if you know of an affiliate program you think I may like to add to the bottom of that link page.  Also if you have any questions or have suggestions for reviews or giveaways!