Lotus Bumz Review and Giveaway

I really like the Lotus Bumz diaper I've been trying out! There aren't really any exciting bells and whistles on it, but it's soft and cute, fits well, and hasn't leaked--even after overnight! 

These diapers cost between $12.97 (for white) and $16.97 (for prints) each.  Their best deal per diaper is the "Mystery 6 pack bundle," which comes out to only $11.67 per diaper.

If you would like to purchase some Lotus Bumz diapers, I have a coupon code for you! Just use CONTEMPLATE15 to get 15% off your next order! (expires 6/1)

Lotus Bumz also has a military discount of 25%. Here are the details: "To all of our Military family out there serving our country as well as Any Active Duty, National Guard, Reservist or Veteran, or their spouse is eligible to for our MILITARY discount!! For now on you will get 25% off any order. In order to qualify, email us at info @ lotusbumz.com and let us know about your status. If you're not sure whether or not you qualify, or if you have any questions email us as well."

In addition to these awesome discounts, Lotus Bumz also donates a percentage of their profits to non-profit organizations that help moms!

Now for the review and giveaway:

Here is the outside of the "StarButts" diaper I received. Isn't it cute!? 

The inside of the diaper is nice and soft, and I like the placement of the snaps. 

Look how great it fits! This diaper is definitely one of our most comfy ones. Not too tight, not too loose. 

Here's the front of the diaper. If you find the picture a bit blurry, that's because little Love Bug here doesn't understand the phrase "please sit still!"

Lotus Bumz is going to give one of my readers a a Lotus Bumz diaper of their own in either a girl or a boy color/print! 

Don't Leave Your Two Year Old Alone with the Cloth Diapers

Don't leave your two year old alone with the cloth diapers, or this may happen:

I was given a roll of liners recently. 

These photos were taken AFTER I had spent 20 minutes rolling up the liners that were in his bedroom and all down the hallway. 

This is the culprit. My guess is that he was communicating, "Mom, it's 8 o'clock and I'm hungry and bored."

My diapering accessories have been under attack lately. Sweet Pea (pictured below) got a hold of a sample pack of Grandma El's diaper rash ointment yesterday, and ate some of it. We got to talk on the phone with the nice people at poison control (She's fine).

Have your kids ever gotten into your cloth diapering products and made a mess of anything? 

Ecopipo Vs. bumGenius

I had a hard time coming up with a diaper to compare with Ecopipo diapers. Since nothing in my stash is quite like it, I decided to compare it with something well-known, like a bumGenius.

Here are the two side by side. The Ecopipo is definitely larger, but also narrower in the crotch. The Ecopipo also has three settings for the rise, while the bumGenius has only two. However, the Ecopipo only has two snaps across, while the bumGenius has three.

Here is another shot, this time of the bumGenius on top of the Ecopipo. The front part of the diaper is wider on the bumGenius.

 I like the inside of the Ecopipo. There are double gussets and a snug flap on the back. The bumGenius, on the other hand, has a waterproof panel on the inside front. Both the bumGenius and the Ecopipo come in snaps or aplix.

 Since we've already determined which diaper is LARGER (the Ecopipo), here are the two side by side snapped on the smallest setting:

The leg holes on the bumGenius are quite a bit smaller. Here I can only fit in three fingers (oh no, my pinkie is missing!... lol)

I can nearly fit my entire hand into the leg hole of the Ecopipo when it is snapped on the smallest setting. (Note: if your baby has chunky thighs, then this is the diaper for you!)

Below is my attempt at a comparison chart. Have you tried these two diapers? What do you think about them?

Ecopipo                                                    bumGenius 4.0

$19.31 (or 255 Mexican pesos)     PRICE PER DIAPER                         $17.95                    

                      
   
           Y                                            DOUBLE GUSSETS                           N


           N                                     WATERPROOF FLAP IN FRONT            Y


           Y                                                 SNUG BACK FLAP                       N

          Y                                               OVERLAPPING SNAPS                   N

          Y                 HAS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR A 35 LB TODDLER      N

Hiatus

hi·a·tus/hīˈātəs/

Noun:

A pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process

My hiatus from writing on this blog will end this next week... I have more reviews and giveaways to share, along with a potty training success story!!

Stay in touch!

I Know, I Know...

Yes, I need to write another post. I know this.

Yes, I need to make it interesting (unlike this crappy post).

But guess who's busy potty training a two year old???

Me!!!

Sunday afternoon I was changing his diaper and he said, "Momma, I want to go potty and wear big boy underwear. Pweeeese!!"

How could I resist this?

Here's our system: 

1. We go potty (or, at least, try to)
2. I set the timer for 45 minutes (up from 30 yesterday)
3. If he's dry when the alarm goes off, he gets a jelly bean
4. Repeat steps 1-4

Aside from nap time, he had two accidents yesterday, both because his caretakers (one of them me) forgot that we were potty training...

We're using one pair of pink training pants that were given to us, a package of Thomas the Train "big boy underwear," and the Flip Trainer, which I love.

But there goes my timer, which means it's time to do #1... and then I have a baby to nurse, and grocery shopping, and cleaning the nasty bathroom before my grandparents come to visit, and etc.

You know how it is.

Have a great day!

Booty Buns vs. Rumparooz

Today I'm going to compare a Booty Buns diaper with a Rumparooz. I am actually impressed with both of these diapers, for different reasons. 

Here is the Booty Buns (hereafter "BB") on the left, and the Rumparooz ("RR") on the right. The BB is definitely larger.

Here are the two diapers opened up, so you can see just how much larger the BB is. 

The BB diaper can also snap down smaller. 

Both of these diapers have double gussets, but the inside of the RR is more soft and plush.

Both diapers have elastic in the back and a flap to prevent blowouts. I prefer the back of the RR: tighter elastic and softer fabric. 

The BB diaper has a flap in the front as well (which is waterproof); something the RR doesn't have. 

The BB has a hip snap on each side, while the RR does not. 

Now, I'm kind of a sucker for cute little details, like the little kangaroos on the RR:

And the rubbery tag on the back (say it with me: "Awwwww!!")

I was pleased with how the RR fits my 14 pounder: 

Yes, the white part needs to be tucked in here. She was just wiggling.

Here's the diaper on my 35 pounder. The RR fits him well too.

For pictures of how the Booty Buns fits each of my children, go HERE

I love the idea of Booty Buns: a diaper that grows with your child from birth to potty training. The extras (wipe, liner, extra insert) are also awesome additions. But Rumparooz work better for my kiddos. They just fit my skinny kids better, and I like how soft they are.

See my comparison chart to decide for yourself which one is better!

Booty Buns                                          Rumparooz G2 One-Size Pocket


$25.50 (+ $6 s/h on all orders)         PRICE PER DIAPER                       $23.50                   

                      
           Y                                             INSERT SNAPS IN                            N

           Y                                            DOUBLE GUSSETS                           Y


           Y                                      WATERPROOF FLAP IN FRONT            N


           Y                                                     BACK FLAP                               Y
  

           Y                                        INSERT AGITATES OUT IN WASH       N

          Y                                               OVERLAPPING SNAPS                    N

          Y                                            INCLUDES WIPE AND LINER              N

          Y         DONATED DIAPER FOR EVERY DIAPER PURCHASED      N

The Idle Housewife

This morning I was reading from Proverbs 31, a passage from the Bible that basically describes the perfect wife. It's a great example that I do my best to live up to. 

Here is a part that stood out to me today:

"Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels." (Prov. 31:10; HCSB)

According to Merriam Webster, "Capable" means "having attributes (as physical or mental power) required for performance or accomplishment."

I want to be a capable wife, a capable mother, and a capable woman.

I'm competent (adequate) in many areas, but not necessarily capable (accomplished). I'm capable in some areas: I keep the diapers washed and folded, I do meal planning and strive to feed my family healthy home-cooked meals, and I homeschool my children (at this stage this means we read Bible stories, read story books, color, play games, and look at nature when we play outside). 

But I am not a capable wife. Look, if you dare, at these examples:

My bedroom doesn't look so bad, until you go to the other side of the bed.    

Our pretty white door going into our office/junk room keeps most people from seeing what's really happening:

But there's no excuse for the state of our hallway:

So how do I become a capable housewife?

I believe the answer is in verse 27: "She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle." (Prov. 31:27; HCSB)

"Idle" means, "shiftless, lazy." I didn't really know what "Shiftless" meant, so I looked that word up too: "Lacking in ambition or incentive."

To sum all that up, the woman who watches over the activities of her household and is not lazy and does not lack ambition or incentive is a capable woman.

To sum it all up in a more personal way, I am not a capable wife. I am lazy. I lack ambition and incentive. I do not watch over the activities of my household in an effective manner.

Starting today I choose to become a more capable wife (there's my ambition).

If I can work hard and care for my home and family (even the parts no one ever sees like diaper changing and closet cleaning and emotion-controlling), then perhaps this will happen: "Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her: 'Many women are capable, but you surpass them all!'" (Prov. 31:28-29; HCSB) (there's my incentive).

Today I will stay away from my books and the computer (after I'm done writing this!) until I have completed my day's work. Perhaps Satan's going to throw me a curve ball and make everything go wrong. Mini emergencies will happen, distractions and trials will get in my way. But at the very least, I choose to have a prayerful heart and a diligent mind as I seek to serve my family and my God. We are "more than conquerors" (Rom. 8:37).

Goodbye idleness.



Comment if you plan to join me. :)

GladRags Review and Giveaway

I was so excited to be able to try GladRags! I had never used cloth pads before, but after being converted to cloth diapers it seemed like the natural next step. This is what I received in the mail:

The pads are sooo soft. Here's one opened up:

This is the back of the pad (that goes against your underwear), which has a pocket for inserts.  

Each regular pad comes with two inserts. You can use one insert for a light day or both for a heavier day. I like to use the pad without inserts as a panty liner. 

This is the backside, snapped up. I found that it seemed a wee bit too tight/narrow for my underwear, but maybe it's supposed to be tight so it doesn't slide around. 

There are different ways to deal with cloth pads. You can store your dirty pads in a wet bag or in a container of water under your sink. You'll want to rinse them out or soak them as soon as you can if you don't want them to stain, though. You can easily rinse them out and then throw them in a lingerie bag to wash with your other laundry, or hand wash them right away. I was sad that I can't wash them with my diapers, because they need to be washed in cold or warm water. 

Here is my comparison of GladRags pads to disposable pads:

GladRags are BETTER because:

-No crackly packages

-No trash to throw away

-No sticky parts sticking to things

-No more rashes caused by plastic

-They're softer/comfier

-They're prettier

-GladRags donates pads to women in need in Africa

-I don't have to go out and buy more every month

-My HUSBAND doesn't have to go out and buy any if there's an emergency

Disposable pads are BETTER because:

-I don't have to wash them
-They can be more trim and thin

Now how do YOU think they compare?


Enter below to win a set of these pads for yourself!