Product Review: Bambino Mio #clothdiapers

When I was first shopping around for baby stuff at the beginning of my pregnancy with AppleBlossom in New Baby Products in Georgia I discovered a cloth diaper brand Bambino Mio. Thanks to Regal Lager, Inc I was able to review some Bambino Mio Trial Packs to see what it is all about. My husband loves our Bambino Mio diapers and the entire system is awesome. 

Bambino Mio Trial Packs consist of a prefold diaper, flushable liner and Velcro diaper cover. The covers are available in a handful of different prints (I love the new ones that have just been released in Berry and Citrus!! [edited to add, only available in the US at this time]) as well as a white solid. While the covers are available in five different sizes, the prefolds are available in two sizes that with different folding fit the covers perfectly (and last longer).

One of the things that I love about the Bambino Mio diaper system is just how slim fitting these diapers are, true as you move up to a bigger prefold there is a little more bulk but they fit very appropriately. The patterns are adorable and easily gender neutral without being boring. The nappies (or prefolds) are super soft and my husband's favorite of our prefold stash. The gussets are incredible and we have yet to have a leak or explosion and I doubt we will. 

Bambino Mio has only recently been introduced to the US market as it is an Italian English company that does fairly well on the other side of the pond. [edited to add: Don't believe everything a shop owner tells you! They are not Italian, but English. Regall Lager set me straight!] 

 the company, in contrary to what you would think (!) is English. They started the business in England, married couple, first running a diaper service for many years, then starting to produce a more complete system and for consumers other than those using the diaper service. They had small children, and that was the motivation to come up with a good cloth diapering system. They have grown in popularity I the last 12 years and they have been market leaders in England for several years, and are close to be in France and Italy. The system is sold in most countries in Europe. Totally 71 countries are selling the system.

 What is fascinating to me is that Bambino Mio provides an entire system that has everything you could need for cloth diapering your child from birth to potty training. They are the only company that I know of that provides it all. You can even buy a kit that will get you from Birth to Potty Training in diapers. I think that the products that Bambino Mio offers are incredible as well as cute. 

Bambino Mio offers:

Nappies

Covers

Swim Nappies

Potty

Training Pants

Mio Liners

Muslin Squares

Mio Fresh Nappy Cleanser

Mio Wipes

Nappy Bucket

Laundry Bag

Nappy Bag

The only problems that I have had with these diapers is something that could easily be fixed with a renovation. No longer will AppleBlossom wearing these during all day, for instance if she is crawling or very active the velcro will turn inward and she'll rub her belly. But they are great for calmer times or naptime. There are no laundry tabs for washing, so I have to be very alert to refasten the Velcro to the front of the diaper to avoid a Velcro war in the wash. When there is a messy diaper, or a fidgety baby this can be a bit of a bother. The other issue is that after a few months the inside of the cover seems to crack a little (like an old t-shirt's logo). But having on the one diaper that is washed in every load has given it a lot of wear and tear. Even with these issues, they are great diapers and I highly recommend them! 

Network with Bambino Mio: 

BambinoMio.com

Bambino Mio Facebook Fan Page

Twitter @BambinoMio

Pumpkin Pants Review (SALE!!) #clothdiapers

Are you loving Etsy as much as I am? I helped my mother start up an Etsy Shop for embroidery and gifts and started searching all around at different shops. Then through the influence of my friend Lindsey, I found Pumpkin Pants and I am in love.

Right now, one of our nighttime go-to diapers are our Kissaluvs fitted diapers. We use different covers including our Bummis Super Whisper Wraps in Medium (review to come of the Super Stars), but with these on she can never seem to move just right. Not even to mention the issue of snap pressure marks or velcro rubbing. Recently she has taken to rolling over on her belly, then waking up because she is stuck and screaming. During the day, she is able to roll over, and mostly roll back, but with all the bulk at night with the covers restricting her movement she just cannot do it. Plus, the PUL covers are not exactly cozy. Enter Pumpkin Pants.

Pumpkin Pants are made of fleece and they are oh so soft and fuzzy. They come in a plethora of fabrics and custom requests are invited. Jenoa has sets ready to go and will also work with you to get the perfect fit. *Thanks to Jenoa of Pumpkin Pants for providing a pair of Kaleidoscope Fleece Soaker/Diaper Cover and a Sketched Floral Longies/Fleece Pants for review.* Just spending time browsing through all the options of fabric prints I am plotting a to-buy list. (Can I just have one of everything please?) As you can see I chose some girlie prints (and the additional models did too), but she has boy worthy prints as well including a few things like Jungle Animals, Sharks, and Outerspace.

These soaker covers aren't just for cloth diapering mama's!
Super cuddly fleece fits nice and snug around baby's legs and waist to prevent leaks over fitted or prefold diapers. Fleece doesn't absorb liquid, it repels it. This cover will keep your baby dry on the outside, and thus your lap dry! There is an extra layer of protection in the crotch.

I gave Jenoa AppleBlossom's measurements and she worked with me to figure out the perfect size and these fit as if they were made for her. I asked her to leave the longies long, and that we would roll them up if need be so she would have some space to grow in them and they are fabulous. They are so soft that I have to fight with AppleBlossom to put them on and not just let her snuggle with them.

Buy it!!
Check out all the different patterns and cuteness available at the Pumpkin Pants Shop. Soakers cost just $6.50 a pair and that's definitely a deal. Then with longies at $9.00 with an additional dollar for XL sizes there are no excuses not to invest in some of these fuzzy covers.

***BIG BIG SALE!! We will be moving shortly, and I really need to de-stash some discontinued prints or limited quantities. Now is the time to build you stash by scoring a great deal!
Here's how it works: Buy any 3 regular price diaper covers/longies/skirties, or $20 worth of any combination of items (before shipping) and then choose the FREE soaker you would like. All the free soakers are located under the Buy 3 get 1 free section in my shop. Simple, right? Enjoy! oh, sale is a limited time only, so get while the getting is good =)***

Product Review: @Bummis Super Star Print Covers (limited edition Super Whisper Wrap) #clothdiapers

In case you have not heard me say it before. I love Bummis. I love everything there is about Bummis.  In detail here, I explain what all I love about the Bummis prefold and cover cloth diapering system. Today I just want to tell you, eight months later I still love Bummis. 

The Super Whisper Wraps are my favorite. The Super Brite Wraps are nice, but they just aren't quite the same to me. The prints available in the SWW are so much more exciting and I prefer the inner cover layer over the wipe-able water proof material. These covers are a much better fit than the others I have tried, such as Thirsties or Polar Babies (not to be confused with Polar Bummis which I have no personal experience with).

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap

This is a state of the art Aplix-closing cover made from a super resistant waterproof laminate sandwiched between two layers of a soft polyester knit. Attractive and comfortable, this fabric can withstand even the rigors of industrial washing and drying. The generous cut of this cover makes it suitable for any type of prefold or fitted diaper.

Special features of the Super Whisper Wrap:

• Very adjustable. The Aplix closures have an innovative overlap design that ensures a custom fit on any baby.
• A durable, heavy-duty elastic around legs and tummy which will not wear out with repeated industrial washes.
• Soft, smooth polyester knit bindings for a comfortable, stretchy fit, and a leakproof seal.

Sizes

NEWBORN	SMALL	MEDIUM	LARGE	X-LARGE
7-10 lbs	8.5-15 lbs	15-30 lbs	30-40 lbs	40+ lbs
*(X-Large is available in White only}

*Thanks to ThanksMama.com I was able to try out some medium sized Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Diaper Covers in their limited edition print Super Stars Yellow and Sage.* Knowing how much we loved the small sized SWW I was already certain that we would absolutely love the mediums.

I knew that I would love them, but never how much! These prints are so darling cute in person, even better than the photos! The only problem that I have had in the past with the SWW is that there were not enough choices in prints for my taste. When I found out about the Super Star Prints I was so excited! Now after seeing them in person I am in complete love! Using colors such as sage green and yellow these are great covers for any baby girl or boy. Had these been available when AppleBlossom was smaller I would have dived into buy them then. I still consider getting smalls for the next time around... maybe... 

Super Stars - Limited Edition Super Whisper Wraps!

Sage Stars. Sage Stars on White, Lemon Stars & Lemon Stars on White

These are available for a limited time only, so get them while you can! In the fabric and style of our best-selling Super Whisper Wrap, these two-tone star prints are really too darn cute!

These are my favorite prints of diaper covers and I really do love them and highly recommend them. If you go buy some, get them from ThanksMama.com and you'll not beat the customer service. Never had we had a leak and they have aged very well over the months. The cousin of these diapers the Super Snaps are my SisterL's favorite diaper cover as you can see here and the only thing that would make her happier would be to have Super Snaps in the prints that you find with these fabulous SWW *hint hint*!!

@FuzziBunz Wonder Wipes from @WeeLittleChanges #clothdiapers

Right now I have yet to find a satisfactory situation on cloth wipes for using with our cloth diapers. Any suggestions? We bought some Imse Vimse Organic Cotton Wipes expecting them to be as fabulous as their diapers, but alas they are horrible! The stitching was pulled tight and loose in different places in the first wash and we are really dissatisfied with them... but more on that later. 

We have started using Bummas (after the wipe) and love them! More on that later too... 

But today, I just discovered a review of FuzziBunz Wonder Wipes over at Makin' It thanks to Wee Little Changes. Have you tried these? They sound good and I'm considering them, I'm just so hesitant since we were so disappointed with the Imse Vimse Organic Wipes.

Thoughts?

Product Review: AppleCheeks #clothdiapers

With all of the diapers that I have been discovering when I found one with the name AppleCheeks, I just knew that we had to try it on our AppleBlossom. Just from seeing pictures, and then with the actual diaper in hand I could not get over how cute it is. Truly it is the most adorable diaper I have yet to see. At first, I had a real issue, because I just was certain that the elastic would not fit her legs and she is a little girl. I went and emailed their customer service and received prompt and polite replies to my questions (they must have thought me crazy!). The AppleCheeks diapers have some strong elastic in the legs and it is a different feeling that using other diapers. The pulling of the side, fully extending the elastic of the leg before snapping is very important. (Otherwise, you'll swear it's too small). Once I got the hang of it (for me took a while, since it was every couple days with the one diaper) I became a pro. 

The thing that I like about the AppleCheeks Diapering system is that as an All-in-Two diaper, you can use it as a pocket diaper (insert aggitates itself out in the wash!) or you can use it as a prefold with cover diaper system. The thing that I love about the AppleCheeks Diapering system is the prefold itself. These things are so soft and absorbent! They have become my extra insert for nighttime diapering (Bummis Super Whisper Wrap in Medium over a Kissaluvs Fitted Diaper Size 1 and a AppleCheeks insert on the outside of the fitted diaper). This method for nighttime has been the first real way that I have found where AppleBlossom is not completely saturated if it is a long night. 

The only qualm that I have had with the AppleCheeks diapers aside from my initial confusion about the leg elastic was some leakage around the tag stitches on the bum (used as a pocket diaper). In their defense, it was a very very very wet diaper and only ever happened once. (At one time my mom tried an experiment of embroidering some Thirsties covers and had the same issue - plus that is why on the Bummis covers there is a flap behind the stitching.) If it had occurred more than once it would be an issue, but as it was only after a full bladder episode I blame AppleBlossom herself. She's so hard on these diapers! *wink* 

I love that I can either stuff as a pocket or use it as a cover. I adore that the inserts are made of Bamboo (also available in Hemp). It thrills me that this is a two size diapering system (6-20 lbs Size 1 and 18-35+lbs Size 2 -- also available waist extensions). The colors of the diapers available are some of the best that I have seen and their options of prepackaged combo packs are awesome. If starting from the beginning I would not hesitate to suggest someone do their entire system of AppleCheeks and if adding to your stash, I'd say you could definitely not go wrong with AppleCheeks (once you get over your mama silliness and figure out what you're doing!).

*Thanks to AppleCheeks for providing a Size 1 Bamboo MiniTest for review.*

AppleCheeks™ introduces our sleek new MiniTests™

Each pre-packaged MiniTest™ includes:

• 1 AppleCheeks™ Envelope Covers in size 1 or size 2 and the colour of your choice.
• 3 One-size inserts, in either hemp OR viscose from bamboo.
• Print care instructions.
• Our gorgeous, full-colour instructional insert which explains the basics of the system and how to use it.
• A certified lead-free, reusable and recyclable PVC bag.

This newest addition to the AppleCheeks™ line makes a great shower gift and is a perfect foray for the beginner parent into the world of reusable diapers.

Neat news is that April 1st is the second birthday for AppleCheeks and with that celebration there are some neat changes in the works. One such change being the discontinuation of hemp in their inserts and focus on bamboo. Personally that excites me as I hear tons more good things about bamboo over hemp anyhow. *grin* 


Network with AppleCheeks:
AppleCheeks.com
AppleCheeks Facebook Fan Page
Twitter @AppleCheeksDipe

Buy it: 
AppleCheeks is available in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Mexico from various stores and websites. Also, from the AppleCheeks Shop.

KISSA'S Cotton Fleece Fitted #clothdiapers - Review

As I said previously in another post. I love Kissaluvs fitted diapers. In addition to enjoying the ease of use and great fit of the Kissaluvs NB size 0 diaper, I absolutely love the size 1. When we were acquiring our stash pre-AppleBlossom, I met a great woman through CraigsList and bought off of her six size 1 Kissaluvs fitted diapers, she did not end up using them at all, but had gotten them gently used from another Mama. They are all natural colored cotton with four having purple serged edges and two having rainbow serged edges. Being that this was well before the V2.0 that has the rainbow serging I am not sure what that means. Either way, these are older, but still fabulous.

They are the perfect long car ride, naptime, and nighttime diapers. At least they were until recently. All of the sudden AppleBlossom's night diapers are more wet. I was shocked and had no idea what to do. Then ThanksMama sent me a Berry V2.0 and my problems were practically solved! 

New! Version 2.0 Kissa’s. The same diaper, now twice as absorbent!The v2.0 Kissa’s now feature microfiber soakers instead of cotton terry. Since the soaker is hidden, you will not feel or see any difference in the soaker, except the marked increase in absorbency. The v2.0 have rainbow serging in the Size 1 and 2 diapers and light brown in Size 0, to help you differentiate the from the original.

The difference between the absorbency in my original Kissluvs diapers and the V2.0 is night and day. The originals are still really great diapers, but I definitely would reach for the V2.0 for nighttime. My other reason for loving this new diaper is the color. I cannot believe how vibrant they are, and it makes diapering so much more fun to add some color into it. 

The Kissaluvs fleece fitted cloth diapers come in three sizes. The size 0 that I believe would be much like my Organic one that I mentioned before in size and the size 1 and size 2. AppleBlossom has been wearing size 1 since she was about three weeks old. I can definitely tell how she has filled it out over the months, but it worked well then and she is still on almost the tightest setting and has lots of room to go with this itty bitty waist. 

Kissa's Fitted Cloth Diaper

Suggested Retail: $12.95 Unbleached / $13.95 COLORS!

Size 0 - Newborn	Size 1 - Medium	Size 2 - Large
Fits approximately 5-15 lbs Light Brown stitching	Fits approximately 10-25 lbs Pastel Rainbow exterior stitching	Fits approximately 20-40 lbs Primary Rainbow exterior stitching

(Not sure why - but I cannot seem to fix the formatting of the pictures above... The Large, or Size two is ~20-40 lbs FYI)

As she has grown to fit out the diaper more the only thing that I have noticed is that she has gone from wearing a Bummis size small cover over it to wearing a size medium. She can wear the size small over it still, but it is a bit tight. When you put on the medium cover, it is as tight as it will go. I especially like using the Super Stars covers that I will tell you about soon... 


You can buy Kissaluvs V2.0 diapers from some of my affiliates, but I strongly suggest supporting ThanksMama. She is unbeatable in her customer service and has competitive prices. 

Currently at ThanksMama you can find:
Old style Kissaluvs on sale $8.95 for unbleached and $9.95 for colors
and the V2.0 for $12.95 for unbleached and $13.95 for colors 
Also she has the Marvels fitted diapers as well as the Marvels OS cover 
She also has incredibly priced packages for buying Kissaluvs in bulk from 6-24 diapers. 


I definitely have enjoyed the original Kissaluvs diapers that we bought through CraigsList, but now having experienced the V2.0 I will never go back. 

Kissa's Organic Cotton/Hemp Fitted Diapers in a size 0 or NB #clothdiapers - Review

I have to admit it, I am completely a fan of fitted diapers. It all started at the beginning six months ago when my daughter was a newborn and we were introduced to the Kissaluvs size 0 diaper. During all my research  of cloth diapers while I was pregnant I heard many wonderful things about the newborn diaper from Kissaluvs. So we while acquiring some of stash before AppleBlossom was born we went to The Natural Baby brick and mortar near Athens, Georgia (though she's online too!) and bought one of the Kissa's Organic Cotton/Hemp Fitted Diapers in a size 0 or NB.

More about our fabrics:

Organic Cotton: 

Organic cotton is the perfect fabric for diapers. Not only does this pure fabric provide the best for your baby, it's also environmentally safe. It is grown without any harmful sprays, chemicals, or pesticides. It's what gives our diapers that character and natural color. Organic cotton takes substantially more time and effort to cultivate, and therefore costs more, but it's worth it. Your baby gets its native goodness and our earth is better cared for, when we don't take shortcuts. A win-win for all!

Hemp:
Hemp plant has been around for thousands of years and is known for its sturdiness and durability. It is one of the most, if not the most durable natural fiber known to mankind. It is naturally anti-bacterial and requires no irrigation, uses no herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and gets harvested and processed by hand. Its positive environmental impact and naturally anti-bacterial properties make it a wonderful choice for our diapers. Its porous nature provides superior absorbency and makes it softer with each wash.

Finding fitted diapers was a very exciting thing for me. While I love my Bummis prefold+cover system, in the beginning those were a bit too big for her, and not quite enough absorbancy for nighttime diapering. My Kissaluvs was from the very beginning. The other best thing about the Kissaluvs fitted diaper is that it catches all during a messy diaper and keeps it all in. 

Kissa's Organic Cotton/Hemp Fittted Diapers

Suggested Retail: $16.95 for NB size and $18.95 for M/L size.

Size NB - Newborn

• Fits approximately 5-15 lbs
• Natural stitching

Size M/L – Medium/Large

• Fits approximately 15-40 lbs
• Natural stitching

Easily, I recommend the Kissaluvs Organic fitted diaper in NB. What I love that they now have and is on our wishlist (you know wait on those finances) is the redesigned M/L that fits 15-40 lbs instead of a size 1 and separate size 2 to span that weight range. 

Features that make these diapers so special:

• Superb fabric that brings the goodness of organic cotton and the durability of Hemp fibers
• Super Trim design, yet very absorbent
• Snap-in soaker provides enough absorbency even for heavy wetter’s
• Our trademark ruffled legs and proprietary elastic which almost guarantees no-blowouts
• Sturdy polyacetal resin snap closures- easy for parents, not-so-easy for curious toddlers!
• Simple easy snap on design sure to be appreciated by moms, dads and grandparents alike
• Overlapping wings to ensure a good fit for skinny and chubby babies alike

Other newborn fitted diapers I like are Woollybums. Originally we only bought a very few newborn size  or rather size 0 diapers, because with my gestational diabetes and AppleBlossom being born at 8 lbs we just knew that she would not last long in them. Now I know better for babies in the future. AppleBlossom just turned six months old and is just now out growing her Kissaluvs size 0. Of course, every baby is different, but for her we could have had a good stash size. 


I also really like the Kissaluvs fitted diapers in size 1... I'll tell you about that soon. 

Kissaluvs is available for purchase from: 

*Note* ThanksMama button is not an affiliate link, but just a good mama with a great shop. Tell her I sent you.