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Winner of the Buns Up Baby Giveaway

Congratulations, Olivia L!  I am sending you a personal email and please reply to me within 48 hours to claim your prize!

CLOSED: Buns Up Baby Review & Giveaway

I am privileged to be reviewing another reliable pocket diaper from another terrific Canadian WAHM! Mom Amber works from her rural home in Ontario, Canada and, like so many of us, became passionate about cloth diapering after learning all the tips & tricks, ins & outs of the gear and industry after cloth diapering her first baby. Now aiming to lend her own contribution to the cloth diapering community, she has founded Buns Up Baby, a fantastic little online shop for all things pocket diapers and accessories!

Buns Up Baby carries two types of pocket diapers--the original Minkee Buns and the latest & greatest BunsUp 2.0 Diaper (released only this week). These diapers start at only $9.99/piece at the cheapest price point, and they come in a huge variety of sweet little prints! Also up for sale on the site are handy wet bags, pail liners, and extra inserts--both microfibre and bamboo.

Up for review, Amber sent me one of the original Minkee Buns diapers in the sweet "Milky Way" cow print. This is my second cow print diaper and I absolutely love how cute these look on my toddler as she waddles around. With gender-unknown Baby #2 on the way for our family, I also love that it's fantastically gender neutral (Buns Up Baby has plenty of gender neutral prints as well as prints specifically for boys or girls).

This pocket diaper fits the way I love a pocket diaper to fit.  The rounded tabs laid much flatter than I'm accustomed to with several other brands I've tried (I often find round tabs curl, but these weren't nearly as bad as some other PUL types I've tried recently). Crossover snaps on the tabs mean that small-waisted babies can get an even snugger fit. Hip snaps on both sides mean a nice trim fit on the hipbones as well as no "wing droop" (where parts of the diaper slide out of the waterproof layer) so that leaks don't happen. I have never had a leak while using this diaper.

The pocket itself has a microsuede inner lining on the top which I love for messy toddler diapers. Since I don't use a diaper sprayer or liners, I rely on the oldschool "dunk and swish" toilet cleaning method for soiled diapers. I find that at this phase of diapering, microsuede is far kinder to us than fuzzy microfibre is (since it's perfectly smooth, it comes quite clean even when shaken and even cleaner when rinsed). Stuffing at the back, this diaper has a nice snug, scrunched up elastic in the back waistband where the pocket opens, so stuffing is easy even for larger hands like my husband's. The pocket can accomodate being stuffed with whatever you prefer most--compact folded prefolds, microfibre inserts, bamboo inserts, or even stacked (doubled) inserts for naps or nighttime. Each Buns Up Baby pocket diaper comes with one microfibre insert included. It was the typical type of microfibre insert that comes with all the Chinese-manufactured diapers, and for daytime wear, it did the trick (I double stuff with items from my own personal stash for naps or nighttime).

Overall, these diapers are inexpensively priced at only $9.99 a piece. They hold up well to wear and tear, even that of a busy toddler who's into climbing, running, and tumbling at full speed. The snaps never budged, nor could they be pulled off by defiant fingers. Laundry was simple and this diaper always washed clean. Overall, it comes highly recommended for anyone looking for a great new brand of pocket diaper to try, particularly if you're on the hunt for some cute new minky prints! :)

Read on to find out how you can win one of these lovely diapers for your own little one!

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BUY IT:
Head over to Buns Up Baby right now and browse through all their cute diapers & accessories!

WIN IT:
Buns Up Baby is also offering one lucky winner a free pocket diaper of their choice!


GIVEAWAY ENDS 04/01/12 at 11:59 PM MST
OPEN ONLY TO CANADA & THE UNITED STATES
Please read all the Giveaway Policies and Rules before participating.**EACH comment must have an easily accessible email address**

REMEMBER:
- leave a separate comment for each action completed
- don't forget your email address for each entry

WAYS TO ENTER:

1. Follow the Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways blog with Google Friend Connect (leave username in comments if not obvious)
2. Visit Buns Up Baby and mention in a comment one item that you'd be interested to try from their online shop
3. ‘Like’ Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways on Facebook
4. 'Like' Buns Up Baby on Facebook and leave a quick comment on their wall to say thank you
5. Follow @CDcontests on Twitter and leave your Twitter username in your comment
6. Follow @BunsUpBaby on Twitter and leave your Twitter username in your comment
7. Tweet this contest and tag @CDcontests and @BunsUpBaby (max. 1 tweet per day). Leave the permalink in the comments section. (1 entry each tweet) You may use the following tweet if you wish:
#Win a pocket diaper of your choice from @BunsUpBaby via @CDcontests (04/01) http://bit.ly/FPGQDO #ecofriendly #contest #giveaway #clothdiapers
8. Subscribe to email updates from the CDC&G blog
9. Follow our blog with the Networked Blogs widget in the sidebar (leave following name)
10. Share a link to this review & giveaway on a message board and leave us a reference link to where it's been shared
11. Vote for our blog on Picket Fence Blogs - can be done once daily (1 entry each time)
12. Grab our blog button and post it on your blog. Leave a link to where I can find it (add 3 entries)
13. Blog this giveaway and leave a link to the post in the comments section (add 3 entries)

Final details: I received financial compensation for administering this review & giveaway as well as receiving the sample items free of charge. All opinions shared are my own, and I was not persuaded to share anything other than my own honest thoughts.  Other users may have different experiences with this product than what I have shared. This giveaway will end on April 1, 2012 at 11:59pm MST and is open to residents of Canada and the USA only. Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org’s services. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen. The prize will be supplied and mailed out to the winner by the sponsor of this giveaway.

Winner of the $120 Lil' Helper Giveaway!

Congratulations to you!  Please return my email within 48 hours to validate your win!

CLOSED: LilHelper.ca Review & Giveaway

I always love supporting good, homegrown Canadian companies, and Lil Helper is one of the neatest cloth diaper suppliers I've found in a while. Run by quirky friends and business partners Mohammed and Nader, this business is a labor of love that aims to better not only the cloth diapering realm but also the world in general. Right off the bat, I was impressed by their vow to supply one cloth diaper to a child in need for every 3 purchased by the consumer. They also boast free and fast shipping anywhere in Canada as well as some of the wittiest web site writing I've seen in a while ;) This is a great company with a terrific lineup of unique and innovative products, and I'm happy to share them all with you in this two-thumbs up review!

Up for review, the guys sent me a generous care package to sample all their wares. As for diapers, they sent me one of each type that they supply: an organic charcoal bamboo diaper (in red), a bamboo cloth diaper (in green), and an original cloth diaper (in grey stars print).

Charcoal Bamboo Diaper (in red). Though the round tabs do roll a little, they still achieve a highly flexible fit!

All three diapers had the same overall shape and style to them. These one-size diapers adjust for small-medium-large in the rise with sturdy snaps that make each of these diapers fit from approximately 7-35lbs, which means you'll only have to buy them once (a great way to save money!). All Lil Helper diapers have stretchy, round tabs that pull across the belly for an easy fit. Although I usually prefer square tabs (because they don't roll as badly), these round ones did the trick and still allowed for cross-over capabilities, which provides a great degree of flexibility for fit (even when baby might seem to be "in between" typical diaper sizes).

These AI2 diapers feature snap-in liners that can be layered.  Seen here are the unbleached cotton inserts.

These diapers fit great even for a toddler on the go!

At first, I expected these to be pocket diapers, when in fact they are actually all-in-two diapers instead. What this means is that instead of being stuffed below the inner lining, the absorbant inserts are actually fastened on TOP of the inner liner by means of two other internal snaps. These snaps hold it in place at both the front and the back. Each diaper comes with two inserts: a large insert and a small insert, which can actually both be STACKED (and snapped together to prevent any possibly shifting within the diaper) for even more absorption. What this means in terms of laundry is that, once wet or soiled, the insert can simply be snapped out and a new one can be snapped into the same shell, provided the cover hasn't been soiled. The only other diapers I've tried like this were Best Bottom diapers, and I actually prefer these Lil Helper diapers better as the insides of the shells are more natural and softer (no PUL next to the skin), and the inserts are able to absorb FAR more than a Best Bottom insert (which has a synthetic topper). All the Lil Helper inserts keep natural materials (cotton or bamboo) next to baby's sensitive skin!

The charcoal bamboo liners are super soft and fuzzy

These layered inserts work so well, in fact, that even my 17 month old heavy wetting daughter was able to nap in a Lil Helper diaper (with double-stacked bamboo inserts) with no leaks. She typically leaks through any pocket diapers I own now during nap time (especially as she is a tummy sleeper). Usually naps and bedtime mean disposable diapers for us, so it is nice to find a simple new cloth alternative that works!

Organic bamboo cloth diaper in green

The other thing I like about Lil Helper diapers is that all their shells and inserts are interchangeable. Laundry becomes less picky when you can snap the cotton inserts into the bamboo shells or vice versa (as long as you're not finicky about colors matching). That being said, the Charcoal Bamboo shell and liners were my absolute favorite; not only are they super, SUPER soft, but I love that the interior is grey in color so they will hide stains very well.

Lil Helper doesn't only stock cloth diapers, however! They also have my favorite cloth wipes to date!! I have tried a great many cloth wipes, and of all the ones I've tried and reviewed, these are my total favorites! They are made of super duper soft bamboo that doesn't crust up even in my washing routine (no vinegar, no fabric softener, no dryer sheets). Typically cloth wipes can feel a little "crusty" once they've been laundered for a while, but these have stayed very very soft (like velvet!) after many washes. For a newborn, these are definitely the wipes I will be using next time around!

Lil Helper stocks eco-friendly bamboo cloth wipes and two types of wetbags!

Lastly, Lil Helper also carries wetbags of both the zippered and drawstring variety, depending on what your preference is. The zippered wetbag is extremely well-constructed (better than many I've tried). The zipper is very flat and well-sealed to prevent wicking or leaks. It has a sleek design and comes in bright, punchy colors. The handle snaps open and shut to easily dangle from a doorknob or rail wherever needed. This tiny wetbag folds up so compact in a diaper bag yet can fit 3-4 soiled diapers easily. At only $8.00, it's a real steal! The drawstring wetbag is even cheaper at only $6.00! Constructed of the same quality material, this wetbag also holds 3-4 dirty diapers and has a well-made elastic and drawstring clip. I personally prefer zippered wetbags over drawstring wetbags (simply because they contain leaks a little better), but if you simply wanted a wetbag to simply have hanging somewhere (rather than lumped on the floor or in a diaper bag like mine often are), then this would be a stellar little bag for you!

Overall, I am highly impressed with Lil Helper's professionalism, innovation, and quality products. Any of you will be lucky to win the generous prize (valued at $120!!) they're contributing down below--good luck!! :)

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BUY IT:
Head over to Lil Helper right now and browse through all their cute diapers & accessories!

WIN IT:
Lil Helper is also offering one lucky winner an AMAZING GIFT PACK VALUED AT $120!  You will receive one of each of the diapers (3 altogether) that I tried above, an extra pack of liners for each type, a package of bamboo wipes, and two wetbags (one of each type!).  WOW, WOW, WOW!!


GIVEAWAY ENDS 02/17/11 at 11:59 PM MST
OPEN ONLY TO CANADA & THE UNITED STATES
Please read all the Giveaway Policies and Rules before participating.**EACH comment must have an easily accessible email address**

REMEMBER:
- leave a separate comment for each action completed
- don't forget your email address for each entry

WAYS TO ENTER:

1. Follow the Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways blog with Google Friend Connect (leave username in comments if not obvious)
2. Visit Lil Helper and mention in a comment one item that you'd be interested to try from their online shop
3. ‘Like’ Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways on Facebook
4. 'Like' Lil Helper on Facebook and leave a quick comment on their wall to say thank you
5. Follow @CDcontests on Twitter and leave your Twitter username in your comment
6. Follow @lilhelper_ca on Twitter and leave your Twitter username in your comment
7. Tweet this contest and tag @CDcontests and @lilhelper_ca (max. 1 tweet per day). Leave the permalink in the comments section. (1 entry each tweet) You may use the following tweet if you wish:
#Win a $120 @lilhelper_ca #clothdiapers prize pack via @CDcontests (02/17) http://bit.ly/ys4mI1 #ecofriendly #contest #giveaway
8. Subscribe to email updates from the CDC&G blog
9. Follow our blog with the Networked Blogs widget in the sidebar (leave following name)
10. Share a link to this review & giveaway on a message board and leave us a reference link to where it's been shared
11. Vote for our blog on Picket Fence Blogs - can be done once daily (1 entry each time)
12. Grab our blog button and post it on your blog. Leave a link to where I can find it (add 3 entries)
13. Blog this giveaway and leave a link to the post in the comments section (add 3 entries)

Final details: I received financial compensation for administering this review & giveaway as well as receiving the sample items free of charge. All opinions shared are my own, and I was not persuaded to share anything other than my own honest thoughts.  Other users may have different experiences with this product than what I have shared. This giveaway will end on February 17, 2011 at 11:59pm MST and is open to residents of Canada and the USA only. Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org’s services. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen. The prize will be supplied and mailed out to the winner by the sponsor of this giveaway.

January Cloth Diaper Giveaway Linky!

If you have an open giveaway relevant to cloth diapering, please add your link to the widget below! Be sure to check back to this post daily to see all the new links & opportunities that come rolling in! :)

Winner of the Tender Tushies Giveaway

Congratulations, Anne!  Please check your email and reply to me within 48 hours to validate your win :)

December Cloth Diaper Giveaway Linky!

If you have an open giveaway relevant to cloth diapering, please add your link to the widget below! Be sure to check back to this post daily to see all the new links & opportunities that come rolling in! :)

CLOSED: Tender Tushies Review & Giveaway

I am very excited to partner with "mompreneur" Rachelle on this latest review & giveaway. Based out of Maple Ridge, BC, this Canadian mama of three began Tender Tushies after she herself tried many different types of modern cloth diapers and finally found her "perfect" diaper! Her entire lineup of manufactured Tender Tushies diapers features a wide variety of pocket diapers--some which are similar to others I've seen before, and some that seem to be an all new creation! I was excited to give all these gorgeous products a whirl and let all of you lovely readers know just what I thought!

Up for review, Rachelle sent me three Tender Tushies diapers--one "Polka Dot" print, one "Purple Purple Eater" solid, and one "bamboo red" diaper. She also threw in a cute white & black polka dot wetbag for me to "test drive" :)

Round tab print PUL diaper ($10)

I love the variety of diapers that Rachelle & Tender Tushies offers, because it likely means that every mama will be able to find a style and fashionable look that suits their baby best. Both the purple diaper and the polka dot diaper that she sent me boast a leakproof PUL outer shell (softer and more flexible than many I've felt by other brands!), a supersoft microfleece inner, and a microfibre insert to slip into the pocket. The only real difference in these two diapers other than their print is that the print diapers are all available in rounded tabs whereas the solids are available with square tabs. Personally I'm almost always a square tab kind of girl as I find I always like the fit and stretch and reach a LITTLE bit better, and I like that the tabs always lay flat on a square tab diaper. Even the round tabs on the polka dot DID curl a little bit with how they fit on my daughter's tummy.

However, there is one MAJOR upside to these rounded tab diapers when compared to other round tabs I've tried before--they also have an extra hip snap like their square tab counterparts, as well as a crossover capacity on the tabs themselves. I've never seen these two features in a round tab diaper before! I love these extra snap options for a couple of reasons--firstly, of course they provides a better fit (the hip snap prevents wing droop and therefore leaks and blowouts; and, the crossover capabilities mean a perfect bit even when baby is at a bit of a strange size).

Secondly, apart from this more obvious perk, I am also very particular with how I stuff and fold my pockets for putting them away in diaper bags & baskets, and having crossover tabs means I can fold and SNAP SHUT this round tab diaper as well, making it more compact and stackable in my stash. Typically, my round tab diapers are flopping all over the place in my basket, coming unraveled and having the inserts shift and bunch even before Baby has worn them!

Great snapping options make this diaper fit perfectly

Aside from the waist and hip snaps on these diapers, they also are equipped with three sets of rise snaps to adjust for sizing (small, medium, or large). This is great and a money-saver as it means that one set of pocket diapers will take your baby from 8lbs all the way through to potty training, most likely! What mama doesn't want that?!

Rise snaps snug the diaper up to the perfect size

The only downside to the snaps is that I did find they were ever so slightly harder to snap than on some of my other brands. I noticed this only on the PUL shelled diapers (I had to apply a little more oomph with my thumb to get the snap to really stick in properly). However, this never resulted in any major problem or headache for me.

While these two aforementioned Tender Tushies diapers are quite similar & comparable to others I've tried before (similar to many Kawaiis & other Chinese-manufactured names), Tender Tushies also offers another type of pocket unlike any I've ever tried before. I'm absolutely ga-ga for this diaper: their bamboo pocket diaper!

Bamboo pocket diaper with bamboo insert

Outer Material: "70% Bamboo Fiber; 30% Cotton; Waterproof PUL"
Inner Material: "100% Bamboo Carbon Fiber; Micro-polar fleece"

Rachelle sent me this bamboo/cotton blend pocket in a cute punchy red color (also available in sky blue and soft green). Although slightly more expensive than the above-mentioned diapers (the bamboo is $12 whereas the PULs are in the $9-10 range), this diaper is SO worth it for a couple reasons. I've NEVER felt a pocket diaper as soft as this, inside & out! The outer shell is actually like a cotton jersey material--it honestly looks and feels like Baby is wearing a pair of underwear, not a sweaty, plasticy diaper! Because of this jersey material, it also has AMAZING stretch & flexibility--the square tabs easily pull and reach to wherever you'd like to snap them, providing not only a perfect fit, but also a super comfortable one. NOTHING digs in, and everything is fuzzy and tender (a namesake to the company name, perhaps!!).

My favorite diaper in ages!

Secondly, this diaper's inner lining is ingenious--other than being a bright white which may easily stain with messes, this microfleece lining (still fabulous at wicking and remaining super soft after washing) is a DARK GREY color. Not only is it fashionable and different looking, it is also so, so, so, so practical! Although none of these Tender Tushies diapers had any problems with stains, I would imagine that this diaper in particular would never be susceptible to stains of any sort, and I LOVE this!

Lastly, this bamboo pocket diaper also comes with its own insert--a 5 layer, super absorbant insert with a uniquely soft, smooth surface of bamboo.  This insert is super soft, super compact and trim, and has been abosolutely foolproof for me!

This is honestly my favorite diaper that I've tried this year, and I plan to hopefully buy a bunch as gifts in the new year!

Double-zippered wetbag (medium)

Winding down from my diaper fever, I must also mention the cute, trim wetbag that Rachelle also sent my way. This black & white polka dot minky wetbag is cute and folds up teeny tiny in a diaper bag, which is so handy. A short (possibly a little too short for some peoples' needs) elastic handle allows it to easily hang on a change table or doorhandle if you so desire. As a double-pocket wetbag, it's also super handy for storing multiple different items and keeping them separate if need be (dirties & cleans separate, for example; or, wipes separate from diapers). I've tried other wetbags like this before and always love them! At 10"x13" this will comfortably store 3-5 diapers and is easy to toss in a diaper bag, car console, etc. This bag easily washes clean with the rest of your diaper or baby laundry and hangs to dry in a jiffy! My only feedback would be that I do wish the zippers were a little more heavy duty and that the zipper pulls were a tad bit larger, but regardless of that, they still do the trick! :)

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BUY IT:
Head over to Tender Tushies right now and browse through all their cute diapers & accessories!

WIN IT:
Tender Tushies is also offering one lucky winner one cloth diaper of your choice!


GIVEAWAY ENDS 11/30/11 at 11:59 PM MST
OPEN ONLY TO CANADA & THE UNITED STATES
Please read all the Giveaway Policies and Rules before participating.**EACH comment must have an easily accessible email address**

REMEMBER:
- leave a separate comment for each action completed
- don't forget your email address for each entry

WAYS TO ENTER:

1. Follow the Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways blog with Google Friend Connect (leave username in comments if not obvious)
2. Visit Tender Tushies and mention in a comment one item that you'd be interested to try from their online shop
3. ‘Like’ Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways on Facebook
4. 'Like' Tender Tushies on Facebook and leave a quick comment on their wall
5. Follow @CDcontests on Twitter and leave your Twitter username in your comment
6. Tweet this contest and tag @CDcontests (max. 1 tweet per day). Leave the permalink in the comments section. (1 entry each tweet) You may use the following tweet if you wish:
#Win a Tender Tushies cloth diaper of your choice via @CDcontests (11/30) http://bit.ly/rR2qP4 #clothdiapers #ecofriendly #contest #giveaway
7. Subscribe to email updates from the CDC&G blog
8. Follow our blog with the Networked Blogs widget in the sidebar (leave following name)
9. Share a link to this review & giveaway on a message board and leave us a reference link to where it's been shared
10. Vote for our blog on Picket Fence Blogs - can be done once daily (1 entry each time)
11. Grab our blog button and post it on your blog. Leave a link to where I can find it (add 3 entries)
12. Blog this giveaway and leave a link to the post in the comments section (add 3 entries)

Final details: I received financial compensation for administering this review & giveaway as well as receiving the sample item free of charge. All opinions shared are my own, and I was not persuaded to share anything other than my own honest thoughts.  Other users may have different experiences with this product than what I have shared. This giveaway will end on November 30, 2011 at 11:59pm MST and is open to residents of Canada and the USA only. Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org’s services. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen. The prize will be supplied and mailed out to the winner by the sponsor of this giveaway.

This Week's Mass Cloth Diaper Giveaway Link-Up

If you have an open giveaway relevant to cloth diapering, please add your link to the widget below! Be sure to check back to this post daily to see all the new links & opportunities that come rolling in! :)