gWhat??!!! and JUST in time for SPRING!

gWhat?! gDiapers launches spring fashion for babies.

--   it’s gStyle from top to bottom   --

baby A modeling her gdiaper- the original face of NNM <3

gDiapers launches gStyle for spring 2013, coordinated top and bottoms for baby boys and girls. The spring 2013 gStyle collection features gWhat and gFleur. 

 

* The gWhat tee asks the question “what’s your favorite g word?” and coordinates with the gWhat gPant. 

 

from gdiapers, used with permission

 

* The sleeveless gFleur dress is a lavender and light green floral print that pairs prettily with the gFleur gPants.  

from gdiapers, used with permission

Both are available NOW at  gDiapers.com and select retailers

can't WAIT for Baby B to ROCK hers!! <3

About gDiapers: 

 

Kim and Jason Graham-Nye founded gDiapers in 2005. They had a baby on the way and a diaper decision to make. They found out some staggering, and literally earth-shattering news about conventional disposable diapers:

- 20 billion diapers get thrown in the landfill every year in the US. They are the third largest contributor to landfills.

-  It takes up to 500 years for disposable diapers to biodegrade.

-  90% of Americans use disposable diapers.

Today, gDiapers offers a colorful line of adorable diaper covers with 100% biodegradable* disposable inserts. gDiapers are as gentle on the earth as it is on babies. 

NNM and gdiapers:

You first learned of OUR experience with gdiapers when I explained that you (yes, YOU) can cloth diaper your baby. In the almost 3 years we have been using gdiapers, I have only recently added some other brands to our stash. 

Those of you that follow me on Facebook know that we have been dealing with some HORRIBLE stink issues as of late! I have never had that problem until now. My g's are still our favorite ;) 

our stash of small and newborn gdiapers (plus our two Blissful Booty's in the back) 

We also, of course, have a FULL stash of mediums and larges. <3 I am a LOVER of the hybrid. And I love being able to flush the gdiaper insert so my trash doesn't stink like diaper all day (don't be fooled- diaper genies don't work!) Poop goes where it belongs- in the toilet! 

Plus, HOW CUTE ARE THEY?? 

Baby B's g-butt (photo credit Photography by Kay ) 

 

SHOW SOME LOCAL LOVE and Share your favorite gdiaper retailer below!

Day 2: #12DaysofChristmas #SeasonofGiving : Hybrid Fluff! :)

I've expressed tirelessly via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest how in LOVE I am with gdiapers. My early post You CAN cloth diaper your baby , was the first of several installations of my dedication to the Hybrid cloth diaper ;) 

Since then, we have added some Blissful Booty, bumGenius, and Thirsties cloth diapers to our stash. But we are still mainly a hybrid family.. especially now that we have 2 in diaps. 

baby B rockin her THIRSTIES duo

Baby B rocking her bumGenius Freetime in Dazzle

baby B Rockin her SMALL gdiaper

we also have covers by Rock a Bye Booty

and as I mentioned, we have several sizes of the Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers

Baby A in one of our Blissful Booty diaps and a Kicky Pants shirt in Natural

we also have one FUN diaper from Two Hip-Peas in a Pod

So tell me about YOUR cloth diapers! First 10 comments HERE on the blog get mailed a coupon off your 1st gdiaper purchase! 

* Feel like trying g diapers now? Check out www.gdiapers.com and let them know Theresa Sirois sent you at check-out! *

Rock a Bye Booty: Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

Who wants some fluff? :) 

Our latest product review has been kindly provided by Tanya, the fabulous mama over at Rock a Bye Booty. If you're even remotely familiar with the world of mommy-blogging, you also know you find her name in many other places too :) 

I was sent a fabulous cloth diaper cover, in the Green Bubble print; 

So I am a total moron, and when we first discussed doing this review/giveaway, it did not occur to me that the diaper was a "cover" (clearly after 10 months, I am apparently still a newbie in the world of cloth diapering!). As you've discovered through my various past blogs, we use primarily g Diapers and have recently added Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers to our stash. 

I have no idea how to use pre folds. Is that even what they're called? See, I am a folded-cloth-diaper-moron. Nonetheless, I found an AMAZING use for the diaper cover in our house.... nighttime!

Leaks at night, especially with a cloth diaper, are terrible. It requires washing of sheets, jammies, blankets, toys, and of course, the diaper. In my case, this usually includes a cloth insert, a snap liner, and an outer shell. Booooo... 

To prevent said leaks, I had previously been adding a disposable g liner ON TOP of the cloth liner inside the g pant. (No idea what I'm talking about? see the g diapers website for more info.) Anyways, so this time, I used my regular g pant and cloth liner (minus the disposable insert) and added instead the Rock a Bye Booty diaper cover. Ummm, FABULOUS! 

The inside is this super soft, yet water resistant material that made it so all I had to wash in the morning was the g diaper and insert and NOT her whole bed! I wasn't sure how the fit differs from over a folded diaper, but the cinched sides and wide waist band made it fit snug, and yet was still soft, comfortable, and provided for easy mobility. The material is not in any way starchy or constricting.

Baby A's nighttime diaper leakage is primarily my fault, because I do the "horrible mom" thing of sending her to bed with a bottle. (I know, gasp!) But hey, she sleeps... so don't judge unless you were here the first 6 months. Anyways, so at probably no fault of the g diaper- she leaks right through, almost nightly. And having the disposable AND cloth insert in there were making her little g pant butt super bunchy- sometimes I wondered if she would even be able to move her tiny little legs! :)

The thinness of the Rock a Bye Booty cover is a great alternative in not the only the fact that it prevented the leaks from getting to her clothes or to the bed, but also in the comfort factor! Her cloth diaper butt was a whole lot less... fluffy... : )

* She also sent me the cloth wipes you see in the photo and the fleece material feels SO luxurious, I actually felt guilty using it to wipe her butt! <3

So, wanna WIN some BOOTY of your own??!
* Contest is now CLOSED* 

* Just follow Rock a Bye Booty via Google Friend Connect, or subscribe by email

* Make sure you already follow NurturingtheNaturalMama via Google Friend Connect

To enter, just comment below that you have followed Rock a Bye Booty and NNM (be sure to include your email in your comment). 

WINNER will win this CUSTOM design by Rock a Bye Booty

 

Additional Entries: 

You can enter a second and third time by; 

* Finding and 'liking' Rock a Bye Booty on Facebook 

* Finding and 'liking' NNM on Facebook

For additional entries, comment below if you are following Rock a Bye Booty and/or NNM on Facebook (again, be sure to include your email in your comment). 

* Please add a SEPARATE comment for each action so you get more chances to win! 

BONUS

Share this giveaway on FB or Twitter, and comment below EACH DAY that you do so (leave your email or twitter handle in your comment) and it counts as a new entry EACH DAY! 

Contest ENDS Thursday June 23rd at 7pm EST. Winner will be announced by Friday. 

Goodluck!

Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers *Giveaway* CLOSED

Figured I'd start the Holiday week with a giveaway! (Ok, so my week is starting technically mid-week, but who's keeping track?!)

photo courtesy of www.blissfulbooty.com

Blissful Booty was kind enough to send me a AIO Ultra cloth diaper with a booster to try for baby A. Since I had already used and reviewed their diaper, which I had received as a gift, in my post entitled Newest Additions to Our Stash and LOVED them, I was excited to try them with the booster!

Just as before, the diaper fits comfortably and snug. The fabric, I will repeat, is exceptionally soft and luxurious! And the booster is no exception. It is the same soft and wonderful fleece material with a canvas-ish backing that slips into the folds of the diaper, similar to how a maxi pad secures to your undergarment.

And at first, when I saw the small size of the booster (compared to the g cloth insert for example) I was unsure how much this little piece of fleece could really help. Much to my delight, when I went to change baby A, that little booster had absorbed almost ALL the urine! I was able to just place another booster inside the same AIO diaper to freshen her up! It was great!

I also use my BBCDs without the booster, as they are not a necessity, but they do certainly help with overnight wetness, and as I just mentioned, it occaisonally can save you on extra washes :)

I have mentioned this before as well, but the fit of the BBCD s is great! I love that it has velcro and snaps for a snug and secure fit, and after having used these diapers, I plan to have the alterations place next door to me add some snaps to the gDiapers in my stash that are losing their velcro!

Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers, as you've probably noticed from my blog, my facebook page, and my tweets- are quickly becoming a new fave of mine in cloth diapers and cloth diaper accessories. 

* GIVEAWAY * CLOSED

In honor of their fabulous products, I am also doing a GIVEAWAY of a sample of their cloth wipes (4 in all), a sample bottle of their Heavenly Honeysuckle wipe water concentrate WITH a 4 oz spray bottle, AND a tube of Blissful Booty Lip Balm!

contest winnings shown here

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Follow NurturingtheNaturalMama via GFC and Comment below that you did so. In your comment, please list your favorite item from the Blissful Booty website (one NOT mentioned in this blog). And GO! <3

Additional Entries: 

Want another chance at winning? Do one or all of the items below, and leave a comment below that you did so. Be sure to include your EMAIL in EACH comment so I can contact you should you win. 
* Each additional entry does need a SEPERATE comment below.

1. Find  Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers and 'like' them on Facebook
2. Follow BBCD on Twitter
3. Find and 'like'  NurturingtheNaturalMama on Facebook
4. Follow NNM on Twitter
5. SHARE this giveaway with your friends! (you can use FB and/or Twitter to enter)

Goodluck to ALL! and THANK YOU to Blissful Booty for this great giveaway!

Contest CLOSES Friday at 9pm EST.

Newest additions to our Stash :)

Our cloth diaper stash consists only of gDiapers, thanks to a dear friend who donated the majority of her stash to us since her kids are older. Recently though, thanks to fellow mommy bloggers and mama followers, I have come to further explore this exciting (yes, my life is so ridiculously boring that I find cloth diapering exciting) world of cloth diapers! :)

 For Easter, after my post about Simplifying Holidays, my parents and in laws were at a loss as to what to get my kids without adding to the "crap" in our house. But I must say, they both did VERY well this year! The in laws surprised the kids with a recordable book (to which you can hear "Amma" reading a story to my little Spiderman- SO cute) and some mini boxes of raisins instead of filling a basket full of chocolate and peeps! YAY!

My parents provided the kids both with their very own Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers (of course a week prior- literally- my son finally decided to potty train himself for the overnight- YAY! but that means baby A will end up with his BBCD lol) So not only are these diapers ADORABLE, and you can pick your own snap color, but they are SO comfy! Well, I wouldn't know that first hand, but the fabric is exceptional! and Baby A seems to LOVE hers! I also love the way they fit- Baby A is now about 16 pounds and the medium size fits her like a glove! No leaks, no red marks around her thighs, and barely any cloth-diaper-booty :) Love it!

baby A modeling the fab fit of her new Blissful Booty Cloth Diaper!

and still a great fit, even when climbing stairs! lol

this one shows you how cute they look with the adorable snaps, and her new Kicky Pants T shirt :)

her adorable Navy blue snaps and the signature BBCD tag

attempted close up of her BBCD from the front :) 

 And since we have developed this new love for Blissful Booty, we checked out their website again and immediately fell in love with their wipe water concentrate and can't wait to receive our Milk & Honey scented bottle soon! Be sure to check out all their incredible cloth diapering accessories!

And the last addition as of late, to our cloth diapering stash is the one we WON from Instinctual Mamas Momtrepeneurs, Giveaways, and More FB page from Two Hip Peas in a Pod! YAY! Check out baby A modeling her new Dr Seuss Diaper;

The Dr Seuss Diaper from Two Hip Peas in a Pod

omg it is SO cute!

tee hee! Fuzzy butt! :)

So, be sure to check out Two Hip Peas in a Pod on Facebook, and find Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers on Facebook and Twitter and let them know NurturingtheNaturalMama sent you! <3

And of course, you can always find your gDiapers products at www.diapers.com. And that is also where I scored baby A's latest Kicky Pants organic T shirt in Natural.  Their links are below, and let them know NNM sent ya :)

* find gDiapers on Facebook and Twitter
* find diapers.com on Facebook and Twitter
* find Kicky Pants on Facebook and Twitter

What's YOUR favorite cloth diaper??

Sunday Surf

Here are my highlights from this week! Feel free to share yours below in the comments so I can keep up with what you are checking out <3

The Sparkle Mama

I loved her recent post about Changes and New Chapters. We are, along with the majority of America, in the throws of financial chaos right now. We are trying to keep food on the table, and a roof over our heads, and the majority of our 'green' alternatives are out of necessity to save cash! I loved her real, nitty gritty description of their troubles, yet how they remain a solid family unit. For better or worse right? :) I'm with ya Sparkle Mama! <3


Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers

One of my new FAVES! I love their wipe water concentrate their scents are incredible! They also have an incredible selection of cloth diapers and other cloth diapering accessories. We just got our 1st BBCD as an Easter gift and can't WAIT to try it out! 


I just recently discovered though, that they also have a blog, and their first Welcome post is an amazing insight as to how this WAHM business was born. I am always happy to support WAHMs, but especially when the product ends up being so fantabulous! :)

photo credit: BlissfulBooty.com

Job Description: Mommy

Spring has SPRUNG! And I loved her recent post on Camping with a Toddler. We do a lot of camping as a family as well, and also have an infant and a toddler, so while our toddler is used to camping, we're not sure what this summer will bring with the infant involved :) . But we are always prepared with sand toys, bubbles are a GREAT idea, make sure you have plenty of healthy SNACKS and water, and my personal FAVE: Avon Skin So Soft Insect Repellent and Sunscreen in a cool color-disappearing lotion. LOVE IT!! <3


Last but not least, my little tid bit of the week:

Cloth diapering has been quite the adventure for us. We use a combination of the disposable and cloth inserts for the g diapers, and have JUST added the Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers to our stash! Lately, to save money, we have been using more of the cloth inserts. However, they are beginning to STINK. And I mean, really stink- like to the point where I think she has a poopy diaper, and it's really just the smell of the pee in her cloth insert... GROSS (I know, probably TMI, but too bad!) haha :)

So I posted on the g diaper Facebook page my gripe, and SO many moms responded back with that I should immediately use Rockin Green Cloth Diaper Detergent. So I just want you all to know, I JUST placed my order for my very own Smashing Watermelons Rockin Green Detergent over at diapers.com and it should be here Tuesday. I'll let you know how it all turns out!

What cloth diaper detergent do you use?

Sunday Surf- A Day Early! I couldn't resist!

LOTS going on this week, with some awesome posts by other bloggers! My favorite this week was a recent post by Cotton Babies which I shared in an earlier post, I liked it so much! :)

How do Diaper your Baby for Almost-FREE
Almost-FREE Diapers was an excellent post describing 'old-fashioned' ways to make diapers out of household products for those of us who struggle to afford diapers and other necessities. Like the author, I know what it is like to decide between diapers and food. This was just one of the reasons we switched to cloth diapers, but had a good friend not given us (as hand-me-downs) her HUGE lot of g diapers, I'm not sure we would have been able to afford the upfront costs associated with cloth diapering.

There was also a great post by the Natural Parents Network called Babywearing: More than just the Logical Choice

I loved it because I could identify with Kristen in that I too, had received a carrier but failed to use it with my first born. And he too, would only sleep on my chest. We would use it for hiking, but that was about the extent of it. Retrospectively I think we both would have had a far better experience and got a whole lot more done had we shared the 'wearing' experience.

It wasn't until baby A, my colicky/needy/cranky/sensitive (depending on what you want to call it ) :) baby- that I truly discovered the art (and necessity) of babywearing. And let me tell you what.... if I NEVER have to lug around that stupid carseat again- it will be too soon!

My personal fave carrier, the Moby wrap (www.mobywrap.com)

and last thing, NEW website find! You MUST check out Mama Knows Best. She also has a blog and a Facebook page.

Enjoy!

Check out this awesome post on Almost-FREE-diapering

Amazing! I'm sharing this with EVERYONE I know! Thank you Cotton Babies

Almost FREE Diapers- How to Diaper your baby when you can't afford cloth diapers or disposables

Putting the SKOY cloth to the test!

Natural Family Supplies is an amazing website with 'green' gear for the whole family! Initially I had checked it out for it's cloth diaper selection, but pleasantly found many green home products I had been looking for! 

About the store and blog:

As you'll see from their About Us page, Natural Family Supplies started off as many mommy-businesses do. Nicole & Jeremiah discovered they were pregnant, and wanted the natural products that fit their family but with the same convenient accessibility as disposable options. 

After much research and experimentation, they found their favorites, and decided to share them with their community, then to all of US by offering online ordering!  (YAY!) :) 

Their blog follows their business, and their natural life in the mountains! Homeschooling, concerts, products, parenting, and everything in between!!

The SKOY Cloth: 

So, if you're anything like me, you do your best to be 'green' but certainly still have some work to do. I use plastic trash bags, and paper napkins, and yes, sometimes even paper plates (gasp!). But one item that always bothers me in my kitchen, not only because of the PRICE (ugh!), but because we seem to go through so MUCH of them- is paper towels. 

I am sick of paper towel rolls in my kitchen. 

I am sick of the cardboard insert being used as a weapon by my 3 yr old. 

I am sick of the dish towel that I leave on the stove (and now the one I leave on the sink, since no one was using the one on the stove) remaining clean and untouched for weeks, while I continue to purchase rolls of this paper that fills my garbage can (granted, lined with a plastic trash bag- but that's not the point!)

Ladies and gentlemen, enter.... The SKOY Cloth. 100% biodegradable, absorbent, re usable cloth that can be used in your kitchen, bathroom, ANYWHERE in your home! 

"The SKOY cloth is a durable product due to the reusability factor and can last months.  Using a SKOY cloth is equivalent to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home.  With the high cost of paper towels, as much as $2 per roll, SKOY cloth is the obvious choice for your wallet and the environment."

- direct from SKOY cloth website

So how did the SKOY cloth stand up in my house of 5? No lie, incredible. 

- SUPER absorbent

- Cleans baby mess, food, barf, etc :) 

- I had the 'luxury' of getting to try it on dog vomit in the carpet.... greeeeat.... but it worked FABULOUS! A little Nature's Miracle and we were good to go! And no little paper towel pieces grinded into the carpet!

- Mess around the sink after doing dishes? Done.

- Food stuck to the stove after making dinner? Done. (although it did take a little added elbow grease from my new greener-clean sponge :) )

- toddler finger painting in the kitchen, and all over the floor? Done. 

- teen spill soda? Done. 

- hubby spill beer? Done. 

And after a few days? Just stuck it in the microwave to sterilize. It's now been a few weeks, and I have several of them in my dishwasher washing up for their next several months of use!

Best part??

2 packs seem to be the going amount for a family of my size, and each pack is only $ 6. 99 for 4 cloths! Savings from buying paper towels?? Well, in my house, we were (sadly) going through at least 2 rolls per week. Over a month? That's over $12! In one month! 

The cost savings, and environmental savings (plus, I'm saving on trash bags since I'm not filling them up with paper towels :)) = HUGE SCORE for this family! 

What is your favorite product from Natural Family Supplies ?

 * Don't forget to check out their GEAR TO GO GREEN Sweepstakes in honor of Earth Day (which is April 22nd, 2011)

NNM NEWS: Update

Thanks for following NurturingtheNaturalMama

* I'm working on setting up a cloth diaper swap and Cloth Diaper 101 here in South Berwick, Maine. At this point, we're shooting for a date in May 2011.

* I share many links, posts, coupons, deals, etc. on our Facebook page, so make sure to 'Like' us on FB.

* Follow me on Twitter

* Like things you see on the blog? Check out my NurtureMe Store, stocked with items featured in the blog!

* Product Reviews coming SOON on the following products; SKOY cloths, gDiapers, Seventh Generation NEW disposable training pants. Feel free to contact me if you have a product you'd like me to review. 

* Comments/suggestions? Leave them here on the blog, or feel free to email me at mymackey@gmail.com

My eco-change of the week!!

After reading a great blog on  Change 3 Things: The Ultimate Cloth Diaper Advocacy Project, I decided I had to help spread the word.

Cotton Babies describes their new mission like this;

Change 3 Things is an awareness campaign designed to promote the environmental and economical impacts of cloth diapering. Changing three cloth diapers a day is a small change for one family that equals big impact for our planet.

Our goals:
- 100,000 parents committed to change 3 cloth diapers per day.
- 30-50 million pounds of prevented landfill waste
- 100 million disposable diapers not purchased.
- $24 million of combined savings for participating families

(*numbers are estimates)

Why just THREE diapers?
We are busy parents too and really appreciate achievable, manageable goals. Changing three cloth diapers a day is something that almost any parent can do (stay at home or working).

So are you ready to change 3 cloth diapers?! 'Like' their page on Facebook (link provided below) and let me know you've joined the cause!

'Like' Change 3 Things on Facebook

YES, you CAN cloth diaper your baby!

With my son, I thought the same thing you're thinking right now... entirely too much hand-to-poop contact, right? Wrong. I have discovered the perfect hybrid diaper for all of you who want the environmental benefits and cost savings of the cloth diaper, but don't want to spend your entire day with your hands in a wet pail and doing laundry :)

May I introduce, the gdiaper :

The g diaper is a cloth shell, that come in a variety of adorable color choices, with a snap in plastic liner. Now, into that liner you would place an insert. You can choose from a cloth insert or a biodegradable disposable insert. As long as you do not have a septic system, and follow the specific flushing instructions , you can put the poop where it's supposed to go... in the toilet! :) Or you can add it to your compost pile.

We choose to use the disposable inserts, and purchase them buy the case from my favorite website, www.diapers.com . Not only are they delivered to us within 2 days, but based on our order it's always FREE!

The g diaper, unlike some other cloth options, does come in sizes S, M, L. The upside is the great fit! The downside is that unlike one-size options, you have to continue to purchase different sizes. However, here are some options I have found to work GREAT for even more savings over traditional disposable diapers:

* watch your favorite retail location (I've found them available at both www.diapers.com and Target ) for sales
* ask around! Do your friends have any they are no longer using? The shells are always good! (I got all but 2 of my 12 g diaper stash from one of my besties!)
* check sites like craigslist for people selling their cloth diapers- you ALWAYS get a deal!
* follow fellow g diaper-ers on Facebook , there is always someone looking to SWAP or sell!

Keep checking my blog for the 1st NurturingtheNaturalMama Event, which will be a cloth diaper exchange!

Here's how the cost savings breaks down, in comparison to traditional sposies:

I've looked through several websites and books, and the average seems to be that one would change a diaper about 10 times in 24 hours in the first couple of months. Let's compare cloth diapering to Luvs diapers since they are one of the least expensive. A case of size 1 Luvs diapers, which is 264 diapers, costs $38.99. This would last you a little under a month, so let's say you purchase 2 cases, so that you would get the FREE shipping from www.diapers.com , and it would last you a whole month. So that's a total cost of $77.98 (not including wipes).  Over the course of a year, (taking into account that you use only about 6 diapers per day after 6 months), that would be a cost of approximately $690.

Your initial purchase of g diapers, should you buy them outright, would need to include shells, liners, and inserts. I recommend the g diaper baby bundle , which includes all of the above and the swish-stick for toilet flushing :) At full price, this costs $137.95 from our friends at www.diapers.com . (right now it's on SALE for $129.99).  So this would include 128 disposable inserts (keep in mind, this would be even CHEAPER if you chose to use the g diaper cloth inserts).

To make a long story short :) End result would be as follows, after your initial g diaper purchase;

1 year of sposies                                        $ 690
1 yr of g diapers w disposable inserts         $  412
(Smalls come in packs of 40/each x 6months, and M/L come in packs of 38 x 6 months)  
1 yr of g diapers w cloth inserts                  $ 120
(2 packs of small cloth inserts, and 2 packs of M/L cloth inserts)

And, really, how ADORABLE are they??!

What cloth diaper(s) do you use??