Offspring – Quality cloth diapers made with love

How cute are these??

I was recently given a chance to review these cloth diapers from Offspring, and I was very excited! I love that I can buy my daughter quality hand-made items from other moms!  Offspring’s official Grand Opening was February 14, 2010. The owner, Rachel, states on her main page, “My goal is to make cloth diapering easy and fun so more people will give it a try. Maybe the pleasure in using cloth diapers will surprise you. I know it surprised me!” I have only been cloth diapering for the last 2 months (but have tried many brands of diapers), and I have been pleasantly surprised by how easy it is!

First things first…A little about the diapers!

Offspring’s pocket diapers have a Micro Chamois interior (which is SUPER soft-Sydney likes to hold these diapers after I’ve washed them lol). They also have a hidden waterproof PUL layer with a 100% cotton exterior. With these pocket diapers, you do not need a separate cover. There is a wide strip of Velcro, which will fit a variety of waist sizes without trouble. Offspring prefers to use Velcro for the wider range of fit and also because of the ease of use in the middle of the night. The diapers do not have topstitching on the leg openings. The microfleece “turns out” around the leg openings and helps keep the moisture inside without binding or grabbing at your baby’s legs.

The diapers come with one insert that is microfiber on one side and flannel on the other. Microfiber holds more fluid without being as bulky as other fibers. This inserts can be folded to give three layers absorbency in the pocket diaper OR you can even use them in a diaper cover with the flannel side touching your baby. The small sizes can be used as doublers in larger sizes. The diapers come in sizes from extra-small (0-8lbs) all the way to large (18-28 lbs). Care instructions are also included with each diaper order, which is great if you’re new to cloth!

2 folded inserts

What did I think?

I think that everyone should get one of these diapers and “try” cloth diapering! I have been surprised at how much I like cloth diapering (and it’s great to not have to buy disposables). The first thing I noticed about these diapers was how amazingly soft the inside was…surely something this soft can’t hold in leaks! But it did! It is recommended to wash the diapers/inserts 4-5 times to get the maximum absorbency from the microfleece. I couldn’t wait; I washed them once and put them on Sydney. We didn’t have any trouble with leaks! I did use a doubler insert at naptime and bedtime to help prevent leaks.

My favorite thing about these diapers is that they fit snugly around Sydney’s legs without binding or leaving marks. The microfleece “rolls out” so that she feels the soft part on her legs instead of rough elastic. These are a little more bulky than the “Flip” diapers we have (they are just an insert you lay in a cover), but these stay in place so much better that I don’t mind. We just moved up to the next size in jeans to fix that problem! Also, when washing I prefer the snaps, but I have grown to love Velcro over the last 2 weeks! Since Sydney has become more active and squirmy during diaper changes, it is MUCH easier to Velcro than snap!

Oh, one last thing…You can also buy cloth wipes from Offspring! If you are cloth diapering, these are great because you can throw them in the wash with the diapers and not have to worry about a separate trash can for them!

So, go check out Offspring’s store HERE and check out the absolutely adorable fabrics she has! These make for very cute diaper-only pictures! These are the cutest (and softest) cloth diapers Sydney has!

Miss Olivia, the Little Red Poodle: Her First Big Adventure

I received a complimentary copy of “Miss Olivia, the Little Red Poodle: Her First Big Adventure” by Tom Kaminski from the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team (http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?dorrance+7XZRvv+index.html).

When I first opened the book, I was a little disappointed in the illustrations. They aren’t very colorful, and a lot of the pictures are very similar. I started reading the story out loud to my husband and daughter. It is a very short and simple story about Miss Olivia (the poodle). She plays, gets dirty, needs a bath, and goes to play again. The story is short enough to keep a small child’s attention and simple enough for them to understand.

My main problem with the book is that Miss Olivia says “Oh darn” in the middle of the story. I know that doesn’t seem like a big deal to adults, but it’s not a statement I want my small child making at any point. I think the author could have used another more suitable statement than that one.

Safety that Sticks!

When I first read about the SafetyTat, I thought it was a brilliant idea. I loved the idea of my phone number tattooed (temporarily) on my child “just in case” she ever got lost. However, I was a little hesitant to try them because I remember how itchy the fake tattoos I got out of machines were (yes I realize those only cost a quarter haha) and how quickly they rubbed off. Well, recently I got my chance to try them! SafetyTat sent me samples to try on my daughter! But I want to tell you a little about their products before I tell you how I feel about them.

SafetyTat was invented by a Mom of 3 kids and is a colorful temporary tattoo that doubles as a safety ID. You can have it customized and pre-printed with your mobile phone number and apply it with a damp paper towel. The original SafetyTat lasts 1-5 days, but it is recommended to apply a new one each day. You can also buy the Quick Stick Write-on! SafetyTat and apply it more like a sticker and write in your mobile number (with the included pen). The Quick Stick Write-On! is waterproof and lasts up to 2 weeks! They also have special needs, medical, and allergy SafetyTats. These would be great if you have a child with special needs/allergies that is going to a new school or daycare to make sure their needs are met!

Sydney touching her new tattoo

Yes, I covered our phone numbers :)

So how did I like them? I loved them! I applied the Original SafetyTat to Sydney (my 13 month old) all by myself and it was super easy. She wanted to touch it at first, and I immediately wondered if it bothered her. She soon forgot about it and hasn’t touched it all day! It is still on her arm and looks almost like it did when I applied it! It’s about $20 for a pack of 24 Original SafetyTats, which is well worth the peace of mind if you ask me! I will definitely plan to use these on future vacations!

Discount Code and Giveaway!

SafetyTat has offered my readers 10% off a purchase of $15 or more now through March 22, 2010!
Simply enter the code “SoMommy” (it is case sensitive)!

They are also giving 2 lucky readers a Quick Stick Write-on! sample pack in their choice of girl, boy, or multi-pack.

How to enter:
Mandatory Entry: Tell me what you like about the SafetyTats.

Bonus Entries (Leave separate comments for each)
- Sign up for the SafetyTat e-news
- Become a Facebook fan of SoMommy or follow my blog

***Make sure to leave your email address in your comment. I will contact the winner shortly after the contest is over. If the winner doesn’t respond in 48 hours, another winner will be drawn. The contest will end Saturday, March, 13, 2010 at Noon (CST)***

100 Fans Giveaway!

We reached 100 fans....and as I promised...an adult giveaway!  I received this shirts from Crazy Dog Tshirts and it makes me laugh every time I see it! 

Want to win it?  Here's how:

- Follow SoMommy publicly

       or

- Become a facebook fan of SoMommy

      and

- Leave a comment telling me which you did and leave your email address so I can contact you!

- Be nice and share this one with your friends :)

Note:  It is a women's size medium (so probably a small for guys).  The contest will run until Thursday, March 12, 2010 at 5pm (CST).  Open to U.S. and Canada residents only.  Winner will be picked by a random number generator and contacted by email.  If winner doesn't respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello

I was given a complimentary copy of “The Clouds Roll Away” by Sibella Giorella from Thomas Nelson Publishing to read and review. I have always enjoyed fiction books, especially those of mystery and suspense. Since this book was about an FBI agent, I was very interested to read it.

The book is about Raleigh Harmon, who is an FBI agent living in Virginia. She ends up on a case where there was a cross burning at a celebrity’s mansion, but she discovers much more about the victims and even more about herself and her faith. Raleigh believes, as her father told her, that when the clouds roll away everything will make sense. She holds to that and continues her investigation no matter how difficult the journey is.

The beginning of the book is a little slow and seems to skip around a lot. I felt like I was missing something, and then I discovered that there was a book before this one that probably would have helped with that. As I got further into the book, I got more interested. There are several twists and turns in the story to keep you reading.  It was still a little slow moving and not quite as exciting as I had hoped, but I did enjoy it.

Fandangling WINNER

And the winner is...irliteach who said...
"I'd like to win the safari one for a co-worker who is having a baby girl in July."
March 2, 2010 4:46 PM


Congratulations! I'll be contacting you shortly!

Fandangling Review & GIVEAWAY

I was sent a complimentary Fandangling for myself (and mostly Sydney) to review. We had picked the Safari set and it is super cute!  When I first opened the package, I thought they were small, but then I remembered they were going on the fan, and they are a great size for that!  Sydney approved of them quickly - she hugged them all.  

As soon as Daddy got home, we put him to work.  Ok, it wasn't hard work...setup takes less than 5 minutes (including distractions from Sydney).  These cute stuffed animals have a string and a square of velcro that attaches to another square of velcro you put on the fan (all velcro included).  The velcro goes on the top side of the fan blade, so when you take off the animals no one can see the velcro squares.  If you have an older child (Sydney is 1 year) you will be VERY glad that these animals velcro on...she always wants to hold one!

I think the idea of the Fandanglings is great and they have done a wonderful job making the setup super easy!  Not only are they cheaper than a lot of stationary crib mobiles, but I think babies will enjoy these more.  When Sydney was a baby all she wanted to do was watch fans.  I wish we had this then!  Also, having a fan in the room where your baby sleeps has been proven to reduce the risk of SIDS by more than 70%!! Check out this article on SIDS.

Fandangling is a great company.  They give 10% of their proceeds to charities such as: Animal Friends and Build.  They are also offering my readers 20% off of your order, just use code FANDANGLING10.  Also, they are giving away a free Fandangling for ONE lucky reader!!

Contest Rules:  One entry for each completed task (comment seperately).  Please include a working email so that I can contact you - If I don't hear back from the winner in 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.  Winning comment will be chosen by a random number generator on Thursday, March 4th at Noon (CST). 

To Enter (seperate comment for each of the 3 you do):
(1)  Check out the Fandangling website and tell me which one you'd like to win.
(2)  Follow my blog or become a fan of So Mommy on Facebook (or tell me if you have already).
(3)  Post a link to the giveaway in your Facebook status or tweet about it.