Green Mountain Diapers: Blueberry Simplex AIO OS Cloth Diaper Review

Green Mountain Diapers was born in 1998 and 10 years later was moved out of Karen's home, to the nearby Cotton Mill (in 2009). Green Mountain Diapers is a small husband and wife run business with the addition of 4 employees to help out, making them a wonderful team of people helping to serve every families cloth diapering needs. They are dedicated to quality service (which I can attest for) as well as providing natural fiber diapering. Their mission is to inform others about cloth diapers and help provide the very best for today's modern diapering products focusing on those natural fibers.

Blueberry Simplex OS AIO

The Simplex AIO OS ($25.95ARV)diaper has pocket openings on both ends to allow for increased absorbency to be added to the diaper by using extra inserts. There is a cotton or stay-dry sewn in soaker as well, you choose which you want. The double opening pocket, or what I prefer to call a tunnel, also allows for the insert(s) to agitate themselves out while in the wash. Even though several of my diapers have this double opening pocket, I still prefer to remove the inserts before tossing in the wash, it's a personal choice.

 You can stuff the soaker into the pocket or leave it lay on top of the pocket, your choice. I have used this diaper with it both ways and like it both ways. You can fold the soaker in half so there is more absorbency in the wet zone too. What an awesome customizable diaper hey!? 

So how does it fit? Lets see!

Ezio is 2 years old, just under 30 pounds and 30.5" tall. The Blueberry Simplex OS AIO fits him with tons of room to grow, which is awesome! The above photo on the right is a tad blurry, but the snap down rise is snapped down to one of the two rise snaps placements and the tummy panel snaps are on the second to smallest settings! This makes me believe that this diaper will in fact fit Cade who is 3.5 years old, 40 pounds and 35.5" tall. I have not yet tried this diaper on Cade as I love the Simplex so much on Ezio, plus Ezio seems to really like the cute little monkeys on this diaper as it is one of the first ones he picks out. I will eventually try this diaper on Cade and update this post with how it fits on him. As for Ezio, like mentioned above the fit is great! This diaper, as well as many other one size diapers has a recommended fit for a max. weight of 35 pounds, however I foresee this diaper fitting past 35 pounds, it does depend on the child's body build though. The absorbency of the sewn in soaker by it's self is fairly well for awake playing time, as for nap time and bed time I do add an additional insert, just because he usually has a bit to drink before going to sleep for both. Rather be safe then sorry. We love our Simplex AIO OS diaper! 

Green Mountain Diapers has many other products as well including, but not limited to wool items, prefolds, etc. Be sure to stop and pay them a visit. Oh and let me not forget about the awesome giveaway they are sponsoring! Head over here to enter for your chance to win a $50 GC to Green Mountain Diapers!!

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Disclosure: I received the above item in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own and may differ from those of your own. 

Tego Power Grid Review & Exclsuive Discount Code

Tego Power creates innovative and unique products which are designed to provide power for your every day devices as well as longevity. They understand the world is always on the go so the devices they create have to be as well. Tego Power wants to help assure you that your devices will make it through the day. Tego Power was created when they were in a sticky situation where just a little more battery life would have gone a long way.

Tego Powder guarantees full satisfaction and enjoyment in every product that you purchase. 

TEGO POWER GRID

 

Tego Power Grid ($59ARV) is a lightweight and incredibly durable on-the-go charger for all of your mobile devices so you can charge them anywhere and at anytime! It can charge an iPhone, iPod, Samsung Galaxy, KindleFire and so much more! You just simply connect the device to the Power Grid and it automatically begins to charge. The Power Grid's battery holds enough power to charge most phones twice or fully charge two phones at once.

 It can even charge my Kindle Fire on one full charge of the Power Grid. If I were to use a wall charger to charge my KindleFire, I would have to wait about 15 hours for a full charge and when it is plugged into the wall or outlet I have to wait about 15-20 minutes before I can even turn it on. However, with the Power Grid I can turn the KindleFire on within about 2 minutes and it only takes a few hours to charge versus nearly an entire day... or night. It is amazing and in my mind, charging the KindleFire with this device was the ultimate test and it definitely PASSED!

I have attempted to charge mine and Dan's older flip phones with the Power Grid, however they are too old and do not recognize the device. Dan's phone is about 4 years old and mine is probably older then that, we both have Motorola Razr's however his is a "newer" silver one, while I have the really old RED Razr. Funny thing is that my Razr will charge via a USB cable to my laptop, but his will not. He can charge his via a USB cable to his computer though. It's really weird and it was quite the hassle even finding a wall charger that his phone would "recognize". Anyhow, I was able to successfully charge my mom's smart phone with the Power Grid. When she seen it was a success and ACTUALLY charged the battery, unlike other devices she has tried to use on-the-go to charge her phone battery she definitely tried to finagle the Power Grid out of me!

One of my favorite features of this device... besides it looking like a LEGO block, is the set of 5 lights and easily accessible power button along the bottom of the Power Grid. These 5 lights are basically the cells of the Power Grid's internal battery or in other words, helps to show how much juice it has left for charging your devices. When you charge the Power Grid, which I do with it hooked up to my laptop, the row of lights, light up kind of like a little light show. This shows you that it is successfully charging. When you are charging one or two of your devices with the Power Grid, one light will go out at a time (slowly!) to indicate that you've used that "cell" of the internal batteries life. Once all of your lights have gone off it is time to charge the Power Grid again.

I can definitely vouch for the incredibly durability of this product! Ezio, my destructive, nearly 2 year old has gotten a hold of it many times... poor poor Power Grid!! However, it has definitely survived every drop, bang and throw that it has endured!!

TECHY SPECS

• 4,200 mAh dual output power bank
• Highest quality Grade A Lithium Polymer batteries
• Equipped with a micro USB cable to charge your Power Grid and any micro USB device
• Five LED lights indicate Power Grid’s charge level
• PowerGrid automatically powers off when not in use for seven seconds

This Power Grid has won my approval! Which is great as I'm a busy mom of 3 and I do not have time to puts around with different devices trying to find one that actually does as it claims to do. It has also passed the toddler test! It didn't break or defect and honestly there is not a single scratch, nick or dent to the device! 

Exclusive Discount Code!
Tego Power and Tego Audio products make great stocking stuffers!
Use Coupon Code 20MLM to receive 20% OFF your order!

Tego Audio is currently having their Black Friday Sale! Receive 40% OFF all CERA wireless speakers when you use code CERA40.

PLUS! FREE standard SHIPPING everywhere in the US!

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Disclosure: I received the above product in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own and may differ from those of your own. 

Kinderfeets Push Bike Review {Sponsor Spotlight}

Kinderfeets is a wooden push bike that is designed to ease the transitioning to pedal-powered bicycles as a toddler's comfort level. Kinderfeets is derived from the Dutch for "children" and "bicycle". Oscar Mulder is a Dutch deisnger who was disappointed with the push bikes that were available so he decided to create his own balance bike for his son, Sebastian. Kinderfeets was born as more then a toy, but a fathers gift to his son.

Oscar wanted Sebastian to be able to cruise once he became confident enough, so he added foot-pegs. He also added a removable and washable seat cover as he knows kids love to get dirty. You can simply toss the seat cover in with your next laundry load. Kinderfeets' tires do not require air, allowing for non-stop bike riding and no saddening interruptions of flat tires. Kinderfeets also has a chalkboard finish that provides a reusable canvas for your child to also exercise their creativity!

Kinderfeets Push Bike is Eco-friendly!

Ever hear of an Eco-friendly bike?! Well the Kinderfeets ($109ARV) is most definitely Eco-friendly, how awesome is that? Now, you may be wondering... how in the world can a bike be Eco-friendly? The bike is made from sustainable birch wood and is Certified by the Forest Stweardship Council®, every tree used to produce a Kinderfeets bike is replanted. The airless tires are 100% biodegradable! As far as packaging materials, they use as little materials for packaging as they can and they use materials used from recycled paper and water based-ink. The chalkboard finish paint is water-based and the lacquer in non-toxic. Kinderfeets also plants a tree with trees for the Future, for every bike sold. 

Cade's Red Kinderfeets Push Bike

(I will update with a photo of Cade on the Kinderfeets bike by 10/3!)

I have been searching for a good balance bike for Cade, I've searched for something light weight as well as the over all design of the bike. Kinderfeets seems to have the best design and I love how Oscar added the foot-pegs to help the bike grow with your child a little more then if these pegs were nonexistent. As your child becomes more confident on the balance bike they can begin exploring different ways of riding it and the foot-pegs help for this fun adventure and learning experience. The Kinderfeets push bike weighs only about 8 pounds and only takes about 10 minutes to assemble. It even comes with the little tools needed to assemble it! Making it so much easier and stress-free on the parent and allowing for your excited and patiently waiting child to be able to get on his or her new bike and take off into the wind. This bike is so easy to assemble, Jedilynn helped grandma put it together! Jedilynn is 7 years old and Grandma said she did a great job! 

The length and height of this bike are both perfect for Cade, granted he is pretty tall for a 3 year old, but this bike is for toddlers from the ages of 2 to 5 years old and I can definitely see that age range as being accurate! Ezio who will be 2 years old in December has attempted to use the Kinderfeets bike, but he doesn't quite have balancing down good enough yet. Well see come spring once he is two years old if his balance has become better. In Ezio's defense, he hasn't ever really been interested in Cade's bikes. Aside from the Kinderfeets, Cade also has a three-wheeler and a two-wheeler with training wheels. Ezio will sit on the three-wheeler, but he just wants someone to push him along for a fun ride. 

As most children will do, Cade started to walk with his Kinderfeets at first, then Grandma helped show him how to go faster and we also immediately showed him how to use the foot-pegs and would hold onto the bike and and run along side him fairly quickly. This was a bit of a mistake because now he just wants to hop on the bike, put his feet on the pegs and wants you to push him... almost every time he gets on his bike... Despite this, he is getting better at balancing and making himself go faster. He really does love his balance bike. The chalkboard side panel is very cool!! Cade and Ezio LOVE drawing with chalk and Cade was pretty ecstatic when I showed him that he could even color on his bike! What an awesome way for your child to personalize their bike to their personality.

As a parent, I feel balance bikes are definitely an important part of not only learning to ride a bike, but also for a toddler or young child's development in general. I would have loved for a balance bike such as the Kinderfeets to have been Cade's very first bike, but now I can try and work on getting this to be Ezio's first bike. Cade and Ezio share toys and things very nicely, pretty surprising with them only being 18 months apart. 

You do need to storage the Kinderfeets indoors as it is a wooden bike. I haven't decided if I will store ours in the basement, attic or front closet. Even though we live in WI, we have had some pretty light winters as far as snow goes so he may be able to bundle up and keep riding his bike through many of the next couple months. 

Over all, we LOVE our Kinderfeets balance bike! 

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Disclosure: I received the above product in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences expressed in this review are 100% my own and may differ from those of  your own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication. 

OtterBox {Sponsor Spotlight}

OtterBox was created in 1998 and started as a simple box, it was built upon fundamentals of hard work, creativity and perseverance. OtterBox cases are dedicated to all the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device due to their active lifestyle. OtterBox was founded by Curt Richardson who is also the chairman for Otterbox, he promoted the development of their product lines from waterproof boxes into four lines of device-specific cases for the hottest technologies on the market today. The original line of cases are waterproof, just as an otter's fur. They have evolved their products by listening to their customer feedback over the years, they were challenged by their consumers to take the idea of a protective case to the next level. OtterBox is the number one selling cases for Smartphones in the US. 

Motorola Electrify Defender Case

(I will have to update w/a photo I took the case off and forgot it in my godmother's purse! :/)

The Defender Series OtterBox for the Motorola Electrify ($49.95ARV) was designed for those who are seeking rugged protection. This case keeps your phone clean and safe from damage that may break the bank, it also have a built-in touch screen protector that keeps your display looking like new. The outer shell is a silicone skin that absorbs the drop and the inner shell is a shatter-resistant polycarbonate shell.

I chose this OtterBox case because with toddlers and also doing handy work with my mom, my poor phone needs all the protection it can get! Plus, when you purchase a more so expensive phone you really don't want to have to pay for expensive repairs... or at least I don't. You can still use the touchscreen even with the added protection and you can also hear the other person when making a phone call, I know some other brands of cases make these two things difficult. I love the belt clip holster, it is removable yet holds your phone securely. It also clips onto your belt loop and pocket securely. 

Ezio is a phone thief and he's not very graceful with phones, he is always dropping them and even throwing them when is caught with it so having a nice protective case such as the Defender is awesome! My phone is probably trying to thank me and saying FINALLY protection. 

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Disclosure: I received the above products in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own and may differ from those of your own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication. 

Doll Baby Couture - Fitted Cloth Diaper and Wool Shorties Review {Sponsor Spotlight}

Doll Baby Couture offers homemade fitted diapers and wool shorties and longies. These diapers and wool soakers are available in one size as well as two sized options of newborn and mediums. 

Space Dino Fitted Diaper!

Space Dino OS Fitted Diaper ($42ARV) is so fabulously soft, stretchy and super absorbent, I fell in love with this fitted right away! This diaper is made with an outer layer of knit cotton which has the awesome print on it! Middle layer is organic bamboo/cotton fleece and the inside layer that lays against baby is a super soft cotton velour, which is a thirsty fabric leaving babies delicate skin fairly dry.

 

The soaker pad is a contoured and fold-over, they consist of soft organic bamboo fleece that is topped with matching cotton velour. The smaller pad is a doubler that is made with soft organic bamboo fleece and is also topped with cotton velour. These soaker pads are a snap-in system with no snaps exposed or pressing against babe's delicate skin.

This diaper also has a fold down rise, making it even more adjustable for each individual babe and allowing for a good from from approximately 12 - 35+ pounds. 

I have used this diaper on Cade who is 40lbs and get a good fit, however he is on the very last tummy panel snaps. Despite being on the last tummy panel snaps I can actually still use the fold down rise and get a great fit. I used this diaper on Cade during the day as well as over night. Cade is a heavy wetter and using this diaper with a thicker wool cover left him dry in the morning! 

I also used this diaper on Ezio who is 20 months old and about 26 pounds. Ezio has a really skinny waist and I did use the fold down rise with him as well and achieved a secure fit! I mostly use fitted diapers on Ezio and this one is great for nap and bedtime for him as well. Ezio is not quite as heavy of a wetter as Cade is.

Sorry apparently the on the bum photos have been lost somewhere, I will update hopefully soon with some action shots! 

Wool Interlock Shorties!

These super soft Wool Interlock Shorties ($25-$37ARV) are super soft and breathable. They are made from a heavy weight wool interlock and a heather grey interlock is used for the waist and leg bands. The seams are securely surged and there is an added layer sewn into the wet zone of the shorties. These are great for night time or when ever you may need extra protection and best of all they are gender neutral, perfect for a baby girl or boy!

This wool is thinner them other wools, making them even better for summer use in hot climates. Both of my boys get heat rash, especially in the diaper area when we've had to use PUL on a hot day. When I see a rash presenting it's self I allow it no time to become horrible and cause further pain or discomfort to either one of my sons', I immediately put them in a nice fitted that with this pair of wool shorties over it and by the next diaper change the heat rash is nearly gone. The boys have had such bad heat rashes that they have even continued to spread after hours of being in the house in just a diaper and the central air being on. Not sure why this happens, but at least I've discovered wool is a quick way to relieve them of most diaper area rashes that the wool comes in contact with. I think once the boys potty train and if they still fit either of them I will use this as undies if they develop a rash for whatever reason. 

We received a pair of Large shorties from Doll Baby Couture and they fit 18m-2T, they fit Ezio great, but seeing as how Cade is in a size 3T-5 I didn't want to stretch them out by trying them on Cade. They fit Ezio great and I love them so we will just keep them for Ezio, beside Cade has his own pair of wool shorties. Wool is truly amazing! Don't worry about wool being too hot in summer because wool is actually cool in the summer and warm in the winter... pretty neat huh?! Sorry apparently the photo of Ezio wearing the shorties has disappear as well, I'll update with an action shot hopefully soon! 

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Have you tried bamboo fitted diapers and/or wool shorties? What print of fitted diaper do you like most from Doll Baby Couture? 

Disclosure: I received the above product in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own and may differ from those of your own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication. 

Baby Bullet {Sponsor Spotlight}

 Baby Bullet, LLC, takes pride in the products that they offer, they design products to meet or exceed the demands placed on them through everyday use. Their products go through extensive "real-world" testing to determine what works and how they will be able to make their products better then any others on the market. They even use these products in their own homes.

 Baby Bullet 20 pc. set

This 20 piece Baby Bullet set includes:

• The Batch Bowl
• Power Base
• 6 Date Dial Cups & Storage Tray
• 2 Short Cups & 2 Stay Fresh Lids
• Easy Pop Batch Tray & Lid
• Blend Blade (Stainless Steel)
• Mill Blade (Stainless Steel)
• 1 Spatula
• User Manual
• Pocket Nutritionist
• Cookbook

I have made so much baby and toddler foods with the Baby Bullet! It is truly awesome and I would definitely say it's a necessity! Not only is it adorably cute, but it is also very functional and durable. I also have the Baby Bullet Steamer, which is also a great product and also easy to use.

I love making all sorts of fruit, vegetable and mixtures of the two for the boys. Since the boys are now 3 years old and 20 months old I use the Baby Bullet to make purees to put in their pouches and also sometimes they will eat it with a spoon by themselves. I use the batch bowl if I'm making more then one to two servings. The batch bowl would be great for making a week or two worth of food for a younger baby or a few days to a week of food for a toddler. The short cups are great for making a day or two worth of food for the babies and toddlers who rather not have the same food for many days in a row. Ezio will only eat the same food one or two times in a week.

Ezio enjoying some homemade bananas and apple sauce!

Not only will you know exactly what your baby is eating and be able to create delicious creations for your little one, but you'll also save money!! A bag of full sized carrots is about $2 here and you get about 10-12 large carrots per bag. When Ezio was an infant I could use 1-2 of these large carrots for at least one entire weeks worth of food for him! If you break that down it's about $0.02 for an entire weeks worth of food!!! A jar of baby food from the grocery store is about $0.65 unless you have a coupon and they are on sale, but even then it still costs more then $0.02 for an entire weeks worth! It's about the same price for making apples for a week, plus a little dash of cinnamon for added flavor for the older babes. Bananas are even cheaper, they are usually $0.29-$0.49/pound and you really only need one possibly two bananas to make a weeks worth of food for a younger babe. But, even if your making food for pouches for a toddler like I am, your still seriously saving money from your pocket! The reusable pouches are cheap as well the food you'll be adding to it. 

The mill blade is great for turning brown rice into baby cereal and things like that. The blend blade is great for all sorts of fruits and vegetables. The spatula is a must! You sometimes have to scrap larger pieces off the sides of the bowls, so much easier then trying to use a butter knife or something. The cookbook is very helpful for beginners and even those of us who have been making baby food and such, there is always something to learn about everything.

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Do you think you could commit to making all or some homemade food for your baby? What  recipe on The Baby Bullet Blog or another recipe would you like to make the most? 

Disclosure: Mami's 3 Little Monkeys received the above products in exchange for our honest review. All opinions and experiences are my own and may differ from those of your own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication. 

BeKoool Itch Relief Patches Review {Sponsor Spotlight}

BeKOOOL offers a range of products to help provide comfort and relief to your entire family. BeKOOOL products are manufactured by Kobayashi Healthcare, LLC along with several other brands. BeKOOOL's Itch Relief Patch was launched in March 2013 and is their first product of it's kind as far as anti-itch.

Anti-Itch Relief Patches

BeKOOOL's new Itch Relief Patches are available in 18 packs. These patches are medicated and help to temporarily relieve pain and itching associated with this such as insect bites, poison ivy, minor skin irritations, etc. They are also clear, leaving them nearly invisible on skin, they protect against scratching and further irritation to the site. Great relief for the entire family!

Mosquitoes love Cade, however Cade develops huge welts from them. The photo above is a really minor mosquito bite for him, but it was still bothersome and itchy for him. I applied an itch relief patch and he was definitely feeling relief within just seconds! It was like magic!

The patch didn't go one completely flat/smooth as it was on the side of his back and he was trying to see it. As you can see he did have another mosquito bite just above it. We applied one to that bite as well and he received fast and painless relief quickly to that one as well. After a few hours of having the patch on the bite he did take it off as he also does with bandaids, we did not have to reapply a new patch though. 

I was really pleased that these patches provided relief to Cade and we did not have to use an oral antihistamine to provide him with relief and also that the medication on the patches did not cause any reaction nor did it even cause redness. He has very sensitive skin and eczema, so that was great and put my mind at ease! He had scratched both bites quite a bit before I put the patches on him and they did not burn or cause further irritation. We have used the antihistamine sprays and if you scratch or have an open wound where you spray it on it most definitely burns. 

I have used these patches on a few bug bites of my own and can say that they do work! I can't not scratch an itch, mine had a small bit of skin that I scratched off before applying the patch as I was trying to avoid using one of the patches as I wanted to save them for the kids. I gave in and applied one and so wished I had done so sooner! Due to the medication and the box advising not to use on children under 2 years of age, I have not tried these patches on Ezio yet. While Ezio usually does not get bitten by mosquitoes, he does have one every now and then, however, they are never as severe as Cade's bites.

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Who in your family would benefit from these the most? What do you like most about the BeKoool itch relief patches? 

Disclosure: I received the above products in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication. 

Buttercup & Jake Natural Skin Care for Kids {Sponsor Spotlight}

Buttercup & Jake is all-natural skin care products that were originally created for their own family needs for a safe, gentle and effective product to care for their children's eczema and dermatitis while also leaving a very minimal impact on the environment. All Buttercup & Jake products are made with organic, all-natural and non-toxic ingredients. The Calnedula flowers for their skin creams are grown on local and organic farms, also, their honey is produced in Hudson Valley, which is also local.

Cocoa Calendula Balm 

Photo belongs to: buttercup&Jake

 Cocoa Calendula Balm comes in a 2 ounce tub ($12.50ARV) is made with golden Calendula flower oil which is 86% organic, preservative free and all-natural. It is extra gentle as it is only made with ingredients that are food-safe. View all ingredients here. You can use this balm to help soothe and protect dry or irritated skin, safe for use under a sore nose, on the bum as well has chapped hands from cold winter winds. It is also an item of use for expectant mothers whom like to rub the balm on their belly bumps. It has a nice chocolaty fragrance from organic cocoa butter and organic vanilla beans.

I use this on Cade's bum, he often has a rash on his inner and upper thighs from PUL and other irritants as well as in his diaper area just from pretty random rashes due to his super sensitive skin. This balm helps clear up his skin quickly. It is also nice because it can be used on even the really bad rashes with broken open skin and wont burn. I love how even when it is in solid form in the tub, I scoop out a bit on the side of my finger and as I rub it on to his rash it gently melts and protects while also healing his skin. Commercial diaper rash creams often cause discomfort for Cade, they seem to burn even if they are not supposed to. As Cade is three years old, he knows when a rash is developing and brings me this balm from off the diaper organizer and asks for a diaper change. He wont allow me to put his diaper on until I've applied some of this balm. If it wins Cade's vote, then it definitely wins this momma's vote! I have not yet used this on Ezio as he is allergic to chocolate/cocoa and I'm not really willing to chance a reaction. Plus, with how much Cade loves this stuff and I have other things to use for Ezio's rashes, I'd like to keep this stocked for a while for Cade. 

Golden Calendula Oil

Photo belongs to: buttercup&Jake

 Golden Calendula Oil is available in a 4 ounce bottle ($16.50ARV) and is made with locally grown Calendula flowers, it helps heal and sooth everyone in the family! From baby to grandma for those irritating dry and itchy spots. Would be great for dry and itchy elbows during the winter time. Calendula is a traditional treatment for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. This oil goes on smooth and absorbs into the skin helping to moisturize and heal the skin while leaving no oily residue behind. It is made with organic vegetable oils which are completely non-toxic and food-safe... you could put it on your salad if you really wanted to. 

 Ezio's eczema is worse then Cades, especially in the winter and while I was dreading the winter approaching, I am rather relaxed about it now as I've used this on some of Ezio's slight eczema dry patches right now and it truly has helped moisten and relieve the discomfort and itchiness. I really wish I had knew about this product last winter when Ezio was a baby as he had some pretty rough eczema patches on his legs and with him being a baby I wasn't too comfortable with using or trying too many different products on him, but this would have been great. This Calendula Oil is great as a massage oil, you know what that means? Baby massage after a nice warm bath just before bed, Ezio's favorite! Before I knew better, I used to use J&J baby oil on my daughter seven years ago... she doesn't have sensitive skin or eczema, but with her darker complexion she would get the "ashy" look to her skin, lotions would only last a short period of time and the oil lasted longer, but it left a horrible oily residue that was left behind in everything she touched and horrible to try and get out of clothing and bedding. So this oil not leaving that residue behind is awesome! Come this winter, I'm sure I'll need to purchase another bottle of this Calendula Oil as I plan to use it on myself, both of the boys and Jedilynn. We live in an old house and mine and Jedilynn's skin both become really dry during the winter leaving us super itchy, especially after baths and showers. 

Soothing Skin Cream

Photo belongs to buttercup&Jake

The Soothing Skin Cream is available in a 4 oz tub ($17.50ARV) and is a light and fluffy cream to gently help comfort and calm dry and itchy skin on children. It is made with Golden Calendula flowers and Honey, it is all-natural and 80% organic. This cream is also food-safe and non-toxic providing relief and comfort to your family's skin. 

Since this cream does contain Cocoa Butter I have not used this on Ezio yet either. He does develop hives from chocolate touching his skin (a topical reaction), so the cream and balm make me a little nervous to try on him. However it works great on Cade and I've even used a little bit under his chin where he made it chapped by nervously and repeatedly licking his bottom lip. While the pediatrician said I could use other commercial products found in local stores, I felt much better using a chemical free, all-natural, 80% organic and food-safe product so close to his mouth and also because even after applying the cream he continued to lick. I was able to distract his from licking for a little while allowing the cream to absorb a bit into his skin. It has helped, I wish we had this when he was still sucking his thumb. He was a chronic thumb sucker causing his poor little thumb to be chapped and also seemed to weaken his thumb nail. This would have been great for his thumb. I may even use this on Jedilynn and myself come winter for our dry and itchy skin. 

While Cade does have a tree nut allergy and commonly coconut oil, palm oil, and shea butter can create a topical issue, it has not so far with these products. However, his tree nut allergy was discovered by an allergy testing and not a reaction to tree nuts so we don't know how severe it is or could be. Tree nut allergies are common in people with eczema and some of the ingredients in these above products could possibly cause itching. So, why do I use these on Cade who has a tree nut allergy, but not on Ezio who has a chocolate allergy? Ezio's allergy was discovered from him consuming chocolate. The first time he had chocolate he had an upset stomach for hours until he finally threw up all the chocolate, including everything else that was in his belly. Since then he has gotten a hold of chocolate a few times and breaks out in small none severe hives. Even if he just grabs a piece of chocolate and does not actually consume it he still breaks out in hives and little clusters of hives where any chocolate touched his skin. 
Please note everyone and every allergy is different, I am not telling to not use the products nor am I telling that it will be fine to use with certain allergies. Please use your own discretion and/or consult your physician.  

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Disclosure: I received the above products in exchange for my honest opinion, all opinions and experiences are my own and may differ from those of your own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication. 

Project Pomona {Sponsor Spotlight}

Project Pomona creates absolutely adorable and most importantly functional pants, shorts and shirts for your little one. What do I mean by functional? They fit great over both disposable and the adorable, but often bulky fluffy bums (cloth diapers). Lets keep this simple... Awesomeness! is a single truthful word to help describe Project Pomona!

Meghan is the talented mother, owner and desinger behind Project Pomona, she hand makes all of the Project Pomona products. She graduated from Savannag College of Art and Desing with a BFA. She decided to begin designing a functional pair of pants made from denim, corduroy or any other non-knit material, you know the materials us cloth diapering mom's long for our little ones to be able to wear so it doesn't look like they are in sweat pants all the time? Meghan had the same experience as she also cloth diapered and there were four little ones in her immediate family using cloth diapers. She also noticed that her daughter, born in 2008, could not crawl or sit comfortably with a pair of non-knit pants on and a cloth diaper, even when buying the next size up. You can read more here, I will also touch base on some more of the information you will find there further down through out my review.

Little Animals Jeans

I can't contain myself to start my review as I usually do because I'm honestly 100% in love! I was quite excited to be receiving a pair of Project Pomona Jeans for Ezio, however, I didn't quite expect such a cute print for the cuff and the little Roar Dino on the t-shirt made me giggle! I absolutely love this outfit and it will never be at the bottom of my laundry basket... it must always be at the top so it is definitely washed first! Yes, I love it that much, curious as to why? Then keep on reading.

 Project Pomona Little Animal Accent Print Jeans ($29.95ARV) are made with 100% Certified Organic Cotton for the Animal Accent cuffs and Preium Slub Denim that is 98% Cotton and 2% Spandex. Project Pomona jeans are available in Regular Fit, Trim Fit, Slim Fit and Little Bum as well as sizes One, Two, Three and 2T-3T in different variations. You can view Project Pomona's in dept sizing here. All Project Pomona clothing is made in the USA, by hand by Meghan and is Patent-Pending. Washing is very simple, you can machine wash on cold with like colors and line drying is recommended or a low heat tumble dry.

Ezio is 20 months old, 26 ish pounds and about 32 inches tall, depending on the brand and how bulky of a cloth diaper he has on he can fit anywhere from a 12 months (mostly just sweats and they are short) up to a 3T!! To me, it's pretty insane to have to jump around that much in pants for a little guy, so when I first heard of Project Pomona I was quite excited to try them, but also a little skeptical as to if they would actually fit great over cloth diapers. Oh boy, they most definitely fit amazingly well over cloth diapers! Ezio wears fitted diapers (mom's favorite) which are usually bulky, pocket diapers which are usually double stuffed so also bulky and then on not so hot days, when he isn't drinking and wetting as much he also wears prefolds with a cover, probably out most trim diaper, but even those are hard to stuff into "regular" jeans. These size Three (18m-2T) Project Pomona Jeans fit him amazingly well!!

 
So you mean to tell me their diapers are NOT supposed to be hanging out? Their pants are NOT supposed to be down below the bum and barely up? Before receiving these jeans, it often reminded me of the "Pants on the ground" song when looking at him in pants. It's rather pleasant to see him finally in a comfortable and great fitting pair of jeans. While sweats are cute, I am a huge fan of jeans!  *Please ignore the fact that he is drinking in every single picture, it's the easiest way and best time to take a picture of him other wise he is constantly on the move. The large front panel flap which snaps and unsnaps allows for quick and easy diaper changes without having to take shoes and pants off and then having to wrestle them back on? YES! No difficult metal snaps or buttons that often take forever to finally get closed while trying to wrestle with a squirmy little one. It's like mommy heaven!

No diaper hanging out of the back of his pants is just unheard of never before seen! I also love how they do not touch the floor while he is even barefoot. No torn up bottoms of these jeans! YAY! The waist has elastic around the back, while the front - belly panel does not, but is adjustable with three snaps at the waist allowing for the jeans to fit skinnier and chubbier babes. Ezio's pants are on the smallest snap setting, awesome!, that means these will fit for quite a while! Exciting for a mom of three children who seem to never stop or slow down on their growing. It's like we buy new clothes for the kids and by the time they have worn everything 5-10 times each the clothes are too small and they need all new clothes all over again.

I love the cuffs, they are not sewn up so you can slowly make the cuff smaller and smaller to adjust with your child's growing height. It's like an All-In-One pair of jeans for babe! Love the slack in the straight legs as well, allowing much room to comfortable be on the go as most babies and toddlers are. Ezio certainly does not like a pair of pants or shorts that constrict on his mobility and will take them off as soon as he experiences such. He has not tried to take these jeans off at all. He approves!


My utmost favorite outfit from Project Pomona is the Mushroom Gnome set!

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What is your favorite item from Project Pomona? Which size/fit do you think would fit your bubby best? 

Disclosure: I received the above product(s) in exchange for my 100% honest review, all opinions and experiences are my own and may differ from those of your own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication. 

Stuck on You {Sponsor Spotlight}

Stuck On You offers a great deal of adorable personalized children's items. Including tons of school supplies and accessories such as, backpacks and lunchoxes that can be personalized, clothing and shoes name labels also drinking bottles, sports bags and pencil cases! Definitely a great back to school shopping spot! They also have personalized wooden name puzzles and teddy bears as well as other stationary items and personalized children's clothing. 

Kids Backpack

This Kids Backpack ($49.95ARV) from Stuck on You is made of a durable poly canvas. Stuck on You walks your through 4 simple steps to design your child's backpack, in all honesty, it is easy enough your child could do it on their own if they are able to read. First you pick your backpack color, we chose pink. Then you choose your design, we chose the two owls on the branch. Jedilynn says the little larger owl on the left is me, the mommy owl and the smaller owl on the right is her. How sweet is she!? I thought for sure she would say the other owl was a friend or grandma as she is a huge grandma's girl and always talking about her friends. I felt rather loved and special, funny how the smallest things will just melt your heart! Anyhow, you then choose your font, be sure you have your child's name typed in the box. The name of each font is in that font making it easy to decide on which font you would like. Jedilynn has really been into wanting to write in cursive because myself, grandma and great grandma all write in cursive most often. She is just starting 2nd Grade this year and I have not met nor talked to her teacher for this year yet to see if they will be teaching cursive, but I did purchase a cursive workbook for her and she greatly enjoyed that.

The personalization of this backpack is huge in my book! The last three school years Jedilynn has had the same backpack as at least one other student, she also rides the bus to and/or from school and there were a few other girls on her bus as well that had the same backpacks as some of Jedilynn's. This just makes eliminating the confusion so much easier then having to search for a name or a marking on the backpack. 

Stuck on You Kids Backpack has two large pockets, the furthest back pocket has a smaller pocket inside of it, which will be great for folders or loose papers. I know this will definitely come in handy if Jedilynn actually uses it, last year any loose papers she would bring home through out the weeks would ends up at the bottom of her backpack all crumpled up within the 15 minute bus ride home... how? I have no clue and never really wanted to ask. The second large pocket is in the middle of the backpack and the handle at the top of the backpack is in between these two pockets. There is also a strap at the very back of the backpack for easy hanging on the coat hooks and such at school and also for hanging on the coat hook or door knob at home so the backpack does not become lost or misplaced at home between the few hours children are awake at home, after the school day. I don't know if it is just within my house, but things seem to disappear so quickly and easily as well! Why don't my bills do this magic trick for me? And then there is the smaller front pocket, which always ends up covered in pen, pencil, marker or crayon... or all of the above as this seems to be Jedilynn's storage area for those items as well as it was for me through out school... even if I had a supply box. There are also two side pockets on the back pack, one is a zippered pocket and the other is a mesh pocket. The mesh pocket is great for water bottles and such, the zippered pocket is good for the random smaller items children like to take to school. Ha! Kidding, I actually check Jedilynn's bag nearly every morning as she likes to try and sneak electronics, one I don't want her to get in trouble for having those in school, two I don't want them broken and three... kids steal.. unfortunate as it is. The past three years of her being school at least 3 things have been stolen from her each year. Thankfully small things without much value or sentimental value to them, but it's still wrong. Anyhow, Jedilynn is totally stocked about using her new backpack for school. She asked to use it for her clothes to great grandma's house as she has spent nearly every second of her summer with great grandma or her great aunt, but she's having fun. I did tell her no about using this for her clothes as we want to keep it nice and she has probably about 10, if not more, other backpacks that she can use as well as at least 10 purses... I only have... zero purses, I have a diaper bag. 

She's my model! The backpack is the perfect size for her, granted at 7.5 years old and about feet tall she is a little larger then most children her age.

Lunchbox

The Kids Lunchbox ($29.95ARV) from Stuck on You can be designed the same way as the backpack! I would have done so, but the designs were not available for the lunchboxes when we designed Jedilynn's, but that's okay. I actually like her lunchbox more simple like in the above photo with just her first name. The embroidery is very nice, smooth and clean. This lunchbox is great for keeping food fresh as it is insulated and zips completely closed. At Jedilynn's school all lunchboxes are tossed into milk crates as the student come into the class room in the morning and then they have to dig out their lunch at lunch time. Kind of silly hey? This will make it so much easier for her to quickly find and grab her lunch, allowing her more time to eat so she doesn't have to rush. Plus, with being a girl... girls talk, I know when I was in school I did more talking then I did eating during lunch hour. She hasn't learned how to eat fast enough to do this yet though.

Classic Stick on Clothing Labels

  

  Stuck on You's Classic Stick on Clothing Labels ($19.95ARV) are exactly what we need for hoodies, jackets, hats, gloves and so on! These are very nice and versatile clothing labels, they can be applied in different ways. You can just peel them off the sheet and stick for a quick solution or you can even iron over them to make a more permanent name label and you can also sew them on, by sewing around the edges of the clothing label for a long lasting label. Jedilynn is in Girl Scouts and even though the girls' names were written in black on the back of their purple drawstring bags last year they still.. always... took the wrong bag home. It only had their binders, patches and anything else they did in their Daisy meeting for that night, but still it can be a little frustrating. I will definitely be putting one of the labels on her bag as well as her smock this year as they are brown... if the girls didn't look close enough to see the black sharpie on the purple bags last year, I doubt they will see their names on the brown bags and smocks. There will be a label on every hoodie and/or jacket she wears to school as well as anything else she wears to school. These would also probably work really well ironed onto the underside of headbands, which are another thing that often get lost at school.

I was very pleased that Jedilynn's first and last name were spelled correct on everything. Our own state miss typed her last name on her birth certificate and even though it is an obvious typing mistake on their part, they wont fix it. I would have to legally change her name to the correct spelling. Thankfully it's just two letters mixed up. We haven't had an issue yet, so we haven't paid the state to fix their own typing error. Anyhow, these products from Stuck on You have definitely made Jedilynn's quickly approaching first day of a grand adventure through 2nd Grade even more exciting! She was nervous, but it seems as though with an awesome personalized backpack, lunchbox and labels she has perked up about starting school. 

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Disclosure: I received the above products in exchange for my honest review, all opinions and experiences are my own and may differ from those of your own. I received no monetary compensation for this publication.