Handmade Monday: Wool Longies From The Littlest Forest Giveaway

Every Monday is going to be Handmade Monday here at The Hip (Single) Mama. Handmade Monday will feature our favorite small businesses and handmade goods. There's so much great stuff out there that's made by moms like us that they deserve their very own special day.

To kick of our first ever Handmade Monday we're going to be giving away one medium pair of sage green merino wool longies from The Littlest Forest on Etsy!

 

Medium longies on a 19 month old 30lb baby

These longies are made with two layers of 100% merino wool interlock that is knit and dyed in Peru. They are a pull-up style without elastic in the waistband, so you don't have to worry about red marks on your little ones sensitive skin. These longies are The Little Forest's new "sweatpant style" longies, which feature a cuff on the bottom.

The medium longies have the following measurements (unstretched):

Waist: 16"

Rise: 14"

Inseam: 10"

So, what do you have to do to win? It's easy! First and foremost you MUST be a public follower of The Hip (Single) Mama on Google Friend Connect (to the right).

Once you are a public follower please post in a comment why you would love to win these longies and what other products from The Littlest Forest you love. (Be sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!)

Additional Entries 

(please post a separate comment for each entry)

1. "Like" The Littlest Forest on Facebook

2. "Like" The Hip (Single) Mama on Facebook

3. Link to The Hip (Single) Mama on your blog! (2 entries)

4. Tweet about this contest: Win wool longies for your #clothdiapers from @lepetitowlet http://bit.ly/icbjGb (up to 3 tweets per day. Please leave the permalink for each tweet, and make sure your entries are in separate comments!)

5. Blog about this giveaway! (5 entries. Please leave a link to your blog)

This contest is open to U.S residents only and will end on March 6th at 11:59pm CST. Good Luck!

If you have a small business that sells handmade items and are interested in being featured on Handmade Monday then please email ohdearjessica@gmail.com

UV Skinz Review & Giveaway

If you've been reading my blog for a while now then you know how important sun protection is to me. If you're a new reader then I will quickly fill you in. When I was just 36 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. I didn't know exactly how bad it was at that time because I had to have surgery first but after all was said and done I ended up with stage 3a. Now, it could be worse of course, but there are only 4 stages to cancer. I was never a tanner, but I was also never an avid sunscreen user. I thought a tan was a "healthy" glow though, so I never prevented it from happening. It doesn't take much to get skin cancer so the best thing that you can do is protect yourself and your family.

Now that I have been through all that I have I make sure that I am extra careful with Elijah. We try to stay inside during the peak hours, I constantly use safe, all natural sunscreen (you need to be cautious about what kind of sunscreens you are using. Check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for safe sunscreens and information).

The one good thing (and I mean ONE, only!) about melanoma is that I have met a lot of wonderful people through online melanoma groups and social networking sites, one of those people happened to be the woman who started UV Skinz, Rhonda Sparks. 

Rhonda lost her 32 year old husband, Darren, to melanoma, just days after 9/11 in 2001. You can read Darren's story here on the UV Skinz website. Darren is survived by Rhonda and their 3 children. Rhonda made it her mission to raise awareness about the disease and get kids (and everyone!) covered everywhere. 

Rhonda was nice enough to send me a baby swim shirt, swim trunks, and a sun hat for myself to try out. I was really excited to get this stuff because I didn't have any swimwear with sun protection for Eli, and I have never had anything with sun protection for myself.  All UV Skinz clothing has UPF 50+ sun protection, that means they block 98% of the suns harmful UV rays. It's all day protection that doesn't wear off, and it's 100% safe unlike some of the mainstream sunscreens that are out there. UV Skinz + an all natural safe sunscreen from the EWG's top 10 list = bulletproof sun protection.

The first thing that I noticed when I received these items was how soft the swim shirt was. Elijah is sensitive to what he wears and you will frequently see him pulling on stuff that he doesn't find comfortable (such as shirts with heavy transfers that make the inside of the shirt stiff). Elijah was totally fine wearing the swim shirt and didn't try to pull it off at all! I especially love that there are no seams inside the shirt to dig into Eli, they are all flat locked on the outside.

The swim shorts have a built in swim diaper with elastic legs, so no need to put anything on underneath.

Since this is our first swim shirt and shorts with sun protection, I have nothing to compare it to, but for us it's now a tried and true brand. They also sell skinz for men and women, sun hats for children and adults, and some outdoor sun shade protection tents with a UPF!

Buy it: Visit UV Skinz to buy all sorts of great sun protection gear for your whole family

Win it: UV Skinz is generously giving one of our readers and UV Skinz item of their choice! Perhaps you'd like to try a swim shirt for your little one, or maybe a sun hat for yourself! Go look around and check out all the great stuff you can choose from!

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

Visit UV Skinz and tell me what you would choose if you won!

Additional Entries

❤ Follow this blog publicly via google friend connect (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of UV Skinz on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of The Hip (Single) Mama's Facebook page (formerly Le Petit Owlet) (1 entry)
❤ Follow on @uvskinz Twitter (1 entry) 

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Sign up for the UV Skinz monthly newsletter (1 entry) 

❤ Put my new button on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Follow The Cloth Diaper Revolution's blog and become a fan on Facebook (2 separate entries, leave 2 separate comments!)
❤ Tweet about the giveaway "Keep your kids covered with @uvskinz. Win a swim shirt, shorts, or hat @lepetitowlet! http://bit.ly/dakvif " (2 tweets per day)

Contest will end on June 17th, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and

announced on or around June 18th, 2010

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Elemental Shop Review & Giveaway

I put a lot of thought into all of the things I buy. I like to think about the big picture. How were the things I buy made? What kind of impact has it made on the environment? Is it safe for Elijah and I? Non-organic cotton is heavily chemically processed so when possible I buy organic cotton clothing for both Eli and I. But the cotton isn't the only important factor. If it has a design on it, what kind of ink is being used, what's the process like?

I was super excited to find Elemental Shop because not only are all of their goods organic cotton, but they use all water based inks, and their stuff is really affordable! I've seen organic cotton t-shirts that cost as much as $40, but Elemental Shop's goods start at $12.95 for onesies and go to $18.00 for a hooded t-shirt with a short sleeved t-shirt costing only $14.95.

Elemental Shop is a husband and wife team. Adam and Kelly started the shop in April 2009 in Grants Pass, OR. They wanted to do their part to help the environment and offer awesome organic clothing at decent prices. You can buy their stuff online but if you live (or are visiting) Southern Oregon you can find them at the downtown artisans market every Saturday (May-Aug) in downtown Grants Pass, OR. 

I was sent an adorable organic whale onesie for Eli to try out. They use American Apparel items so I sized up a little and got an 18-24 month size, which was perfect for Eli who is almost a year old and weighs about 23 lbs. I was so surprised at how soft the ink was, it's as if that's just how the fabric came, you can't even tell there's ink on it! I've also washed this onesie a lot and the color from the ink has remained vibrant and bright, no fading!

 

I loved their stuff so much that I had to buy myself a hooded owl t-shirt!

Buy it: Go visit Elemental Shop and check out all our their awesome designs and get yourself (or your baby) some cool new clothes.


Win it: Elemental Shop is kindly offering one of our readers their choice of 1 short sleeve shirts (adult, toddler, or kid), onesie, or tank top.

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

Visit Elemental Shop and tell me what you would choose if you won!

Additional Entries

❤ Become a fan of Elemental Shop on Facebook! (1 entry)
❤ Follow @elemental_shop on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Follow  on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Subscribe to Le Petit Owlet via Feedburner (2 entries, right sidebar)

❤ Put my new button on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

<center><a href="http://ww.lepetitowlet.com"><img border="0" src="http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad91/lepetitowlet/hipmamabutton.png"/></a></center>
 

❤ Tweet about this giveaway ❝ #Win an #organic tee or onesie from @elemental_shop and @lepetitowlet http://bit.ly/cMYVnz ❞ (Limited to one tweet per day, please leave the permalink)

❤ Comment on another post and tell me which one you commented on! (1 entry)

Contest will end on June 10th, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and

announced on or around May 22nd.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Patemm® Pad Review & Giveaway

Diaper changing while out and about has always been a pain in the butt for me. No matter what I did I either forgot a changing pad, wipes, and on the rare occasion, diapers. Not only am I forgetful but it seems like anywhere I am likely to be doesn't have anywhere to change a baby except for the floor (think hippie coffee shops), or the backseat of my car (which if you've done it you know it's super difficult). I needed to find some kind of solution. I wanted something organic, easy to transport, and of course nice looking. I found Patemm® Pads and they fit all of my requirements and more.

Patemm® Inc. was created by a mother, Grace. Grace graduated from NYU and spent 6 years doing public relations, marketing, and branding for a San Francisco design firm. After she had babies she wanted to return to the workforce, but she wanted it to be on her own terms, she figured the best way to do that would be by starting a business. Combining her frustrations with the small rectangular changing pads on the market and being overwhelmed by diaper bags full of stuff, she came up with the Patemm® Pad, a round changing pad that can hold your diaper changing essentials, folds up for easy transport, and is nice to look at! The Patemm® Pad was founded in San Francisco in 2004. The name Patemm® is a combination of Grace's first two children's names: Patrick and Emma.

For review I received the 100% organic cotton Pattem® Pad in the gorgeous Buhayin pattern. The organic Patemm® Pads are GOTS (Global organic textile standards) certified, and two of the colors (avocado and hibiscus) are SKAL Certified 100% Organic eco-friendly and sustainable process for dyeing and finishing. 

This changing pad is awesome! It's a lot easier to carry than a big diaper bag when I am out and about with Elijah in my Ergo. We cloth diaper and I have found that I can easily fit 2-3 cloth diapers, diaper cream, a few cloth wipes, and a small spray bottle of wipes solution in the pockets of this pad. Not only have I used it for diaper changes but also for a small designated play area when at a doctors office or just out. It's super soft and not too thin like some other changing pads, this one is nice and comfortable!

Patemm® Pads also come in a non-organic, laminated cotton. The laminated cotton pads are PVC, lead, phthalate, latex, BPA, and formaldehyde FREE, so no worries about nasty chemicals coming in contact with your baby.
Another great thing? These pads are made in San Francisco!

Buy it: Visit the Patemm® Pad website and get one of these awesome round changing pads!

Win it: Patemm® Pads has graciously offered one of our readers their very own Patemm® Pad!

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

Go to the Patemm® Pad website and tell me which Patemm® Pad you would choose if you won!

Additional Entries

❤ "Like" Patemm Pad on Facebook (1 entry)

❤ "Like" Le Petit Owlet on Facebook (1 entry)
❤ Follow Le Petit Owlet publicly via Google Friend Connect (1 entry)

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤  Follow @patemmpads on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Subscribe to Le Petit Owlet via Feedburner (2 entries, right sidebar)

❤ Put one of my buttons on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Blog about this giveaway (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Tweet about this giveaway! " Win a @patemmpads changing pad from @lepetitowlet http://bit.ly/patemm "

❤ Comment on another post and tell me which one you commented on! (1 entry)

Giveaway will end on May 8th at 11:59pm. I will try to post the winner by the next day but things have been hectic lately. I will do my best to post asap after the winner is chosen!  Contest is only open to U.S Residents.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Everyday Minerals Review & Giveaway

I've been a mama for almost 10 months. Before I was a mom I would get dressed up, wear crazy outfits, do my hair, and sometimes I'd even wear makeup. I was never the type of person to pile it on, I think less is more. It's amazing how even just a little bit of blush can make your feel more put together and less self conscious. In the past 10 months I have pretty much forgotten that makeup even exists at all until I decided that if I do use a little blush or a dab of eyeshadow, even a little lipstick now and then, it might make me feel better when I am out in world exposed to people. I'm a mom but I don't have to lose myself, and I can still feel pretty! 

Now, the trouble with makeup is that if you want something natural you are going to have a hard time finding it and it's probably going to be expensive. I was overjoyed when I discovered Everyday Minerals. They are all-natural, vegan, use organic ingredients, and the best part? Totally affordable mineral makeup.

Everyday Minerals also has an amazing website. Seriously, I am jealous of their great graphics! They are also based out of Austin, TX which is where I live, so I'm keeping it local!

Everyday Minerals was generous enough to send me a few items for review. I got to try the Come What May blush, Ginger Peach eyeshadow, and two lipsticks; Siesta and Golden Strawberry.

Come What May Blush

I have been wearing this blush daily. It has a pretty shimmer and it's light. There are two sizes for their makeup: big and sample. The big blush is only $8 (most blushes in drugstores that are not all natural cost more than that!), and the sample size is only $2.50. I love the sample option, it's nice to be able to try stuff out before committing to a full sized product. I am fair skinned and stay out of the sun and this is a great color for me. I think it's pretty universal and would look great on all skin types.

Ginger Peach Eyeshadow

I generally save eyeshadow for "special" occasions, but I've worn this eyeshadow several times. Just like the blush it has a pretty shimmer and it's light. You only need to use a tiny dab, so this container is going to last me a long time! I've used it as an eyeliner and covering my whole eyelid and I love it both ways. They have some really gorgeous colors, I might just have to buy myself a few of them. The eyeshadows come in the sample size and mini (which is the full sized product). The sample size is $2.50 and mini is only $6. Again, cheaper than a lot of other makeup out there (and definitely cheaper than other mineral makeup brands).

Siesta and Golden Strawberry Lipsticks

Lipstick is another cosmetic that I rarely wear. I asked for the Golden Strawberry because it looked fairly neutral and they also sent the Siesta to try out (the Siesta lipstick is the one pictured. They don't have the Golden Strawberry on their website anymore, sad). When I put these on for the first time I was so surprised, they are amazing! Both of these colors are so neutral you can wear them at any time. They are light, don't taste weird (or at all), and they just look great! I've found myself wearing these lipsticks pretty frequently, which is such a rare thing for me.

Buy it: Visit Everyday Minerals and get some great makeup for yourself. They have a lot of great samples, kits, and discounts!

Win it: Everyday Minerals is kindly giving away two of their Come What May blushes (the kind that I got try!), which means two of you will win!

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

Go look at all the great stuff Everyday Minerals has and tell me what you'd love to try for yourself

Additional Entries

❤ "Like" Everyday Minerals on Facebook (1 entry)

❤ "Like" Le Petit Owlet on Facebook (1 entry)

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤  Follow @EM_Carina on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Subscribe to Le Petit Owlet via Feedburner (2 entries, right sidebar)

❤ Put one of my buttons on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Blog about this giveaway (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Tweet about this giveaway, make sure you include @lepetitowlet and a link to the giveaway!

❤ Comment on another post and tell me which one you commented on! (1 entry)

Giveaway will end on April 29th at 11:59pm. I will try to post the winner by the next day but things have been hectic lately. I will do my best to post asap after the winner is chosen! 

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

 

Maggie's Pure Land Soap Nuts Review & Giveaway

Forgive me for being so MIA lately, I've been dealing with a lot of not so fun stuff. But I am back with a great review and something I have never done before, a live giveaway!

 

I have tried a lot of detergents. Not only do I have to find something that washes my clothes well, but I also have to find something that works with my cloth diapers. All of the detergents that I have tried out have worked great on my clothes, and for the most part pretty good on my diapers, but I hadn't found anything that I was totally in love with, until I found soap nuts. I was recently given the opportunity to try both the soap nuts and liquid soap from Maggie's Pure Land.

So, what are soap nuts? Only the most natural of all natural detergents ever! Soap nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree (Sapindus mukorrosi). Yes, this is a fruit that washes your clothes (and poopy diapers) and works! When soap nuts get wet they release saponin which is a natural cleaner. Because they are completely all natural they are 100% biodegradable and perfect for using on even the finest materials such as silk and wools. 

In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, soap nuts are used to treat skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema, so you know this is a super gentle laundry soap

It took a little trial and error on my part to get these products down to a science (for me anyway, all washing machines, routines, and items are different for everyone). I finally came up with the perfect routine! I use both the liquid soap and the soap nuts in the cotton sack on my clothing and other washables, and for diapers I put 3-4 nuts in without the cloth bag and I keep them in for the cold rinse cycle, the long hot wash, then sometimes an extra rinse cycle. Every time my diapers come out of the wash I bury my nose in them and take a big whiff and I am happy to report that I have not been surprised by a yucky smell yet!

Maggie's Pure Land is offering a sample of either soap nuts or their liquid soap nut soap to TEN of our readers!  

The first ten valid entries will be the winners.

You must be a public follower of Le Petit Owlet via google friend connect, then go to Maggie's Pure Land have a look around and tell me something you learned!

If you are a winner: I am going to post your names either later today or tomorrow and you have to contact me. You can either email me or tweet me.

Add Maggie's Pure Land on Facebook!

Add Le Petit Owlet on Facebook!

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Snack Taxi Review & Giveaway

I am currently in the process of ditching all disposable kitchen items. No more ziploc bags, paper towels, saran wrap, etc. It's so wasteful and not good for the earth! Plus, isn't it better to save money by using reusable items? I generally don't use plastic baggies but my husband does, and as Elijah gets older I am sure I will be bringing something for him to snack on whenever we go out.

I recently came across Snack Taxi, resuseable bags for snacks and sandwiches, exactly what I was looking for! They sent me 3 items for review, a sandwich snack, snack sack, and twice-as-nice napkin.

The Snack Taxi sandwich and snack sacks are made with a 100% cotton exterior and a waterproof nylon interior. All the materials they use to make their products are extensively tested an are lead and phthalates free. They are easy to care for, you can either machine wash and dry or rinse out and air dry.

I've tried out these sacks with everything from sandwiches to snacks, and I even found a new use for the snack sack the other day! Elijah is teething, he's been having a really rough time this past week. I don't like for him to chew on plastic so those plastic water filled teething toys are out. Frozen washcloths can get really messy, so I needed another alternative. While I was in the kitchen trying to brainstorm I saw my snack sack on the counter. I got out some frozen pineapple (the consistency of frozen pineapple is great for teething babies cause it's pretty soft), wrapped it up in a napkin and stuffed it into the snack sack. Viola! Elijah loved it. He chewed on it and carried it around with him. I felt good about him chewing on it because it wasn't plastic, and it gave him that relief he needed. The bag is actually sitting in the freezer right now so we can use it again soon.

So, we love these sacks. We're not contributing to the landfills and these sacks are a lot nicer to look at than a plastic bag!

The twice-as-nice napkin has also come in very handy. I've been bringing it everywhere I go!

Buy it: Visit Snack Taxi to purchase some reusable snack and sandwich sacks!

Win it: Snack Taxi is giving one of our readers the same set that I tried out, a Sandwich Sack, Snack Sack, and Twice-As-Nice Napkin (a $20 value). Fabric selections are always changing so they can't guarantee any prints.

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

To enter this giveaway you must be a public follower of Le Petit Owlet via Google Friend Connect (part one of the mandatory entry). Once you are a follower visit Snack Taxi and tell me what your favorite prints are!

Additional Entries

❤ Visit the Snack Taxi and tell me something you learned about the company (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of Snack Taxi on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of Le Petit Owlet on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Subscribe to Le Petit Owlet via Feedburner (2 entries, right sidebar)

❤ Put one of my buttons on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Blog about this giveaway (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Tweet about this giveaway ❝ Ditch plastic baggies and get Snack Taxi sacks instead! Win some @lepetitowlet http://bit.ly/cVBPU3 #eco #giveaway ❞ (Limited to one tweet per day, please leave the permalink)

❤ Comment on another post and tell me which one you commented on! (1 entry)

Contest will end on March 31st, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on April 1st, 2010.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Naturally Organic Blanket from The Clean Bedroom Review & Giveaway - closed

 If you haven't been able to tell yet, I love blankets. Blankets are one of those items that have tons of uses. They keep you warm in bed, you can snuggle up in one on the couch, bring one when outside to sit on. I especially love organic blankets because I know that if it's organic then it has not been treated with chemicals and is safe for me and my family. Organic fabrics also just feel nicer in general. This time I am reviewing and hosting a giveaway for an adult organic blanket! Mamas (and papas) need blankets just as much as babes do, and if your babe is like mine then they will get to test it out too while co-sleeping.

The Clean Bedroom is located in Kittery, Maine. I am originally from New England and I have been to Kittery, Maine many times, it's a beautiful place! I wish this store had been around then! The Clean Bedroom carries everything from organic mattresses, organic bedding & pillows, to green & eco friendly bedroom furniture. Naturally Organic is The Clean Bedroom's private label line. The Clean Bedroom is gearing up to start selling the Naturally Organic line on Amazon.com so they sent me their Naturally Organic Cotton Jacquard Blanket for review.

I received this blanket in the full/queen size. As soon as I got the package I took the blanket out and threw it in the wash. I was ready to start testing! This blanket is made with 100% organic combed cotton and is naturally scoured white by being washed with natural enzymes and baking soda. This is a medium weight blanket so it's perfect for moderate warmth. I put the blanket on my bed with just my sheets, and while it's been fairly warm in Austin during the day, it's been getting chilly at night. I needed an extra blanket on top of this one, but it's going to be perfect for summer. I'm really happy that I have this blanket for the summer because I am one of those people who can't sleep without anything covering me.

When not in use on my bed I'll probably keep this in the living room for use on the couch. At 90 x 90 it's a perfect size for the whole family to cuddle up under while watching a movie (and it will look awesome with the brown floral fabric I got to re-cover our couch with). Another thing that I love about this blanket is that it's classic. No matter what your decor is or changes to, it will match! 

Buy It: Visit The Clean Bedroom to buy this blanket! It's $86 and if you become their facebook fan you can get 10% off!

Win It: The Clean Bedroom is generously offering one of our readers their very own Naturally Organic blanket!

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

To enter this giveaway you must be a public follower of Le Petit Owlet via Google Friend Connect (part one of the mandatory entry). Once you are a follower visit The Clean Bedroom and tell me what other products of theirs you are interested in trying! (leave 2 separate comments for the mandatory entry - one saying you are a follower and one telling me what products you are interested in)

Additional Entries

❤ Visit the The Clean Bedroom and tell me something you learned about the company (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of The Clean Bedroom on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of Le Petit Owlet on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Follow @thecleanbedroom on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Subscribe to Le Petit Owlet via Feedburner (2 entries, right sidebar)

❤ Put one of my buttons on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Blog about this giveaway (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Purchase something from The Clean Bedroom and leave a comment telling me what you got! (5 entries, please save your purchase confirmation email)

❤ Tweet about this giveaway ❝ #Win an organic cotton blanket from @thecleanbedroom and @lepetitowlet http://bit.ly/orgbla #organic #bedding #giveaway ❞ (Limited to one tweet per day, please leave the permalink)

❤ Comment on another post and tell me which one you commented on! (1 entry)

Contest will end on March 20th, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on March 21st, 2010.

Good luck! 

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Thirstie's Duo Diaper Review & Giveaway

It's unofficially cloth diaper week at Le Petit Owlet!

All of the best cloth diapers started out as a mom's vision and solution to ill or non-fitting cloth diapers and covers. The president and founder, Erin, started Thirstie's when she couldn't find a diaper cover that suited her baby's needs. The first covers were patterned, cut, and sewn at her dining room table with her secondhand sewing machine. After 18 months of testing and tweaking the covers were finally released to the public and this great company was born.

All of Thirstie's diapers and covers are made in the USA by a small group of moms who get to work in the convenience of their own homes. 90% of the components are USA-sourced which helps support domestic textile mills and reduce their carbon footprint. 

I was given the chance to review the Thirstie's Duo Diaper. I chose ocean blue in size 2 which fits 18 to 40lbs, approximately 9-36 months. My son is 8 months old and approximately 21lbs.

Fit: I can tell this diaper is going to last us until Eli is out of diapers. He fits into this diaper on both the smallest and 2nd rise setting. In this photo he is shown wearing the Duo Diaper on the 2nd rise setting (and no, he can't stand up unassisted yet, this picture is an illusion)! This diaper has a fairly trim fit, it's a little bulky when stuffed with both inserts, but Elijah doesn't mind, and I certainly don't mind. What's fluff when you don't have a fluffy bum!? The hook & loop closure is a cinch to use, and it has crossover tabs so these diapers will fit even the skinniest of babes (I own some Thirstie's Fab Fitteds as well and their hook & loop closures have held up the best out of all diapers I have owned for 8+ months). One thing I really love about Thirstie's are the leg gussets! I have never had a leak in this diaper or with my Thirstie's covers.

Performance: I have had the luxury of testing this diaper out with both poop and pee and it's been great for both! No leaks or blowouts, and the absorbency is wonderful. I've put this diaper on Elijah overnight several times and I won't hesitate to use it overnight again. This diaper comes with two inserts that snap together, a 100% microfiber terry insert and a hemp jersey insert which is 55% hemp/45% cotton. I always use this diaper with both inserts just because they are super absorbent together. The inner diaper layer is microfleece which wicks moisture away from your baby so they stay dry!

Ease of use: The Thirstie's Duo Diaper is designed with two pocket openings, one in the front and one in the back. You don't have to take the insert out before throwing the diaper in the wash, it agitates itself out (yes, even in a front loading machine!) which means one less step for you. Cloth diaper laundry is my favorite chore, but I am always happy when I have one less diaper that I need to worry about taking the insert out of. The pocket openings are wide, so stuffing the diaper before use is easy. This diaper is definitely babysitter and husband friendly, which means it's very easy to use :)

Value: The suggested retail for the Thirstie's Duo Diaper is $18.50. You can completely diaper your baby from birth to potty learning with 12 of each size (24 diapers total) for $444. Considering that you would be spending thousands more with disposable diapers makes $444 look really good. These diapers are such great quality with superb performance that they are worth every penny!

We love this diaper. It works great, looks cute, and is easy to use. I'll definitely be buying some more of these!

Buy it: Visit the Thirstie's website to find the retailer closest to you! 

Win it: Thirstie's is kindly offering one of our readers their very own Duo Diaper (an $18.50 value)!

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

Visit the Thirstie's website and tell me which Duo Diaper color and size you would choose if you won!

Additional Entries

❤ Visit the Thirstie's website and tell me something you learned about the company or products (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of Thirstie's on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of Le Petit Owlet on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Follow @thirstiesinc on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Follow Le Petit Owlet publicly via Google Friend Connect (1 entry, right sidebar)

❤ Subscribe to Le Petit Owlet via Feedburner (2 entries, right sidebar)

❤ Put one of my buttons on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Blog about this giveaway (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Purchase something from the Thirstie's Outlet and leave a comment telling me what you got! (3 entries, please save your purchase confirmation email)

❤ Tweet about this giveaway ❝ Win a @thirstiesinc Duo Diaper from @lepetitowlet http://ow.ly/1fjki #clothdiapers ❞ (Limited to one tweet per day, please leave the permalink)

❤ Comment on another post and tell me which one you commented on! (1 entry)

Contest will end on March 17th, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on March 18th, 2010.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Happy Heinys Review & Giveaway - closed

Cloth diapering is something I am very passionate about. Because of that, I love trying out all different kinds of cloth diapers and conveying my results to other mamas out there in hopes of making their decisions easier when it comes time to purchase diapers. 

Happy Heinys did not start as a business venture, but rather a necessity for Linda and Mike Byerline. In 2002 their third child, Sarah Grace, was born prematurely and consequently developed chronic lung disease from the ventilator that saved her life. Knowing that disposable diapers contain many chemicals, doctors suggested that Linda and Mike switch to cloth in hopes of decreasing a need for medications and potential hospitalizations. They took the doctors advice and made the switch to cloth which resulted in a 50% decrease in the need for medications and hospitalizations, but because Sarah Grace was premature, she was small and there were no cloth diapers that fit her well. Linda then began sewing her own cloth diapers for her daughter. While she was sewing diapers for her daughter she found that she would end up with extra diapers which she would sell on eBay. The popularity of the diapers made Linda realize that there were other moms out there who wanted safe and easy to use diapers for their children. Within a year Linda was selling her diapers to wholesalers. This is how Happy Heinys was born.

I was sent a Happy Heinys one size pocket diaper in a mocha brown with the aplix closure for review.

Fit: I was so happy when I put this diaper on Elijah because it fits him well on the small setting, and that normally doesn't happen since my 8 month old is 21 pounds! That tells me that this diaper is probably going to truly fit him until he's out of diapers. With that being said, it will probably be a little large for a newborn, but Happy Heinys makes some really cute mini one size diapers that will fit your baby from 4 to 15lbs. So whether you have large or small babies, Happy Heinys has you covered. 

The aplix has a cross-over closure which is great. Sometimes diapers that don't have that cross-over option don't fit skinny babes too well.

Performance: The performance has been great aside from one leak. I don't think the leak happened because of a performance flaw with the diaper. I honestly don't think any diaper would have held this poop in, it was of the watery sorts. Aside from that one time, there has not been any other leaks or problems! I love the insert for this diaper because it's wide and fits the entire width of the diaper. Some inserts are too skinny for their diaper counterparts which can result in leaks. 

Ease of use: Happy Heinys are very easy to use. The only extra step that is required is stuffing the insert into the pocket, but if you're weird like me then that's kind of fun (diaper laundry is my favorite chore and when you have your diapers all stuffed and folded all nice and neat you feel so accomplished)! The aplix makes putting the diaper on your babe a breeze. I have even failed to take the insert out when I put this diaper in the wash a couple times, but the pocket opening is large enough that it's worked it's way out!

Value: The Happy Heinys one size pocket diaper costs $18.95 which is a pretty standard price for this kind of diaper. Considering that it does run a bit larger than some other diapers means you will be able to get more use out of it. They also carry a snap version of this diaper for the same price. You can purchase 12 of these diapers for around $227, which is hardly a fraction of the cost of disposables!

Not only does Happy Heinys carry the one size and mini one size pocket diapers, but they also have fitted diapers, wool and fleece diaper covers, inserts and doublers, training pants, wet bags, mama pads an also nursing pads.

Buy It: Visit Happy Heinys where to buy page to find a retailer near you or online!

 

Win It: Happy Heinys has generously offered one of Le Petit Owlet's readers a one size pocket diaper of their very own!

Rules: You must complete the mandatory entry for your additional entries to be valid. Please leave one separate comment for each entry (ie: if you get 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments, it's easier on me when counting). Please make sure you leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry

 (must be completed for your additional entries to be valid)

Visit Happy Heinys and tell me which one of the pocket diaper colors you would choose if you won!

Additional Entries

❤ Visit the Happy Heinys website and tell me something you learned about the company or products (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of Happy Heinys on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Become a fan of Le Petit Owlet on Facebook! (1 entry)

❤ Follow @lepetitowlet on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Follow @happyheinys on Twitter (1 entry)

❤ Follow Le Petit Owlet publicly via Google Friend Connect (1 entry, right sidebar)

❤ Subscribe to Le Petit Owlet via Feedburner (2 entries, right sidebar)

❤ Put one of my buttons on your blog! (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Blog about this giveaway (2 entries, leave a link)

❤ Tweet about this giveaway ❝ Win a @happyheinys one size pocket diaper from @lepetitowlet http://bit.ly/djEYg8 #clothdiapers❞ (Limited to one tweet per day, please leave the permalink)

❤ Comment on another post and tell me which one you commented on! (1 entry)

Contest will end on March 15th, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on March 16th, 2010.

Good luck! 

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service.The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.