I'd like to greet all of my new followers and thank you for stopping by my blog! I apologize for the lack of entries, but life has been busy with working over time and all. Even crazier is working 50 hours a week and having a little toddler to come home to that is full of energy and wants nothing more than to do things with you (and *NOT* your computer!). That being said, things are going to calm down here in the next few weeks and you'll have some more reviews, some posts, and some giveaways!
There will be a few reviews in the next month, one of which is probably my favorite cloth diaper accessory (aside from my sprayer!). I also will have a review and giveaway of some wipes, some reusable bags, and a greener alternative for those who pack their lunches (or their child's lunch).
I will be doing another introduction for the new readers and letting everyone know what I face day-to-day with being a full-time working, cloth diapering mother (who also has pumped since returning to work).
For now, I'd like to turn it over to you. As far as blog posts, what do you want to see/know about? What sort of items would you like to see reviewed?
A mother of 2 posting on greener living and life in general.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Happy Memorial Day
I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and SAFE Memorial day! I hope that everyone is enjoying their day with loved ones, and please take a moment to remember those lost and thank those who have served and those who are serving.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
I was a guest blogger for You ARE Loved!
Mama cloth, cups, and disposables.... oh my! Go over to You ARE Loved's page and check out the guest post HERE!
There are also some personal stories from females who have survived TSS. I had no idea that it was as common as it is, and I also could NEVER have told you any of the symptoms. Even if you don't read my post there, please educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of TSS (click here for TSS Basic Facts). The information on that page could save you or a loved one. Educate yourself, and educate those around you. The more we know, the better odds we have against TSS!
For those of you who haven't heard of You ARE Loved , here's a quote from their main page:
"When 20 year old Amy Rae Elifritz (the ARE in You ARE Loved) experienced flu-like symptoms last summer the fact that she was menstruating seemed unimportant. A few days later, on June 13, 2010, she died from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Lisa Elifritz, Amy’s mom, founded the non-profit You ARE Loved to help raise awareness about the link between tampons."
There are also some personal stories from females who have survived TSS. I had no idea that it was as common as it is, and I also could NEVER have told you any of the symptoms. Even if you don't read my post there, please educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of TSS (click here for TSS Basic Facts). The information on that page could save you or a loved one. Educate yourself, and educate those around you. The more we know, the better odds we have against TSS!
For those of you who haven't heard of You ARE Loved , here's a quote from their main page:
"When 20 year old Amy Rae Elifritz (the ARE in You ARE Loved) experienced flu-like symptoms last summer the fact that she was menstruating seemed unimportant. A few days later, on June 13, 2010, she died from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Lisa Elifritz, Amy’s mom, founded the non-profit You ARE Loved to help raise awareness about the link between tampons."
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Dad's Backyard Oasis Father's Day Giveaway!
It's finally here.... the Dad's Backyard Oasis Father's Day giveaway event!
Hosted by Bella Savvy and Mom to Bed by 8
Co-hosted by Giveaway Bandit, To Sew With Love, Living Unrefined, Mumblebee Inc., Some Call It Natural and What Mommy Wants
WOW, YOUR DAD ON FATHER'S DAY!
This year, Black & Decker is making Father's Day extra special for one lucky dad by offering an amazing prize pack full of everything dad will need to create an oasis in his own backyard for summer-long grilling, entertaining and just plain, good ole relaxing. AHH!
PRIZES:
- 20V MAX Lithium Drill/Driver -- MSRP: $122
- 2-speed Quick Clean Sprayer -- MSRP: $100
- 36V Lithium High Performance String Trimmer with Power Command -- MSRP: $170
- Garden IQ Hand Tools Series— including pruners, hedge shears, steel trowel, culti-hoe, heavy duty hose nozzle, water hand hose attachment, and miscellaneous safety items -- MSRP: $108 (includes work gloves)
- Work gloves
EVENT DATES:
This event will run from May 20th at 12:01 am. EST to June 3rd at 11:59 pm. ESTA huge THANK YOU to our sponsor... BLACK & DECKER for offering these amazing prizes!
* SPECIAL OFFER: *Cant wait to win these fabulous prizes? Black & Decker is offering all entrants a special 10% discount + FREE shipping on the purchase of items included in the Black & Decker's Father's Day Gift Guide. So get your orders in for dad, and be ahead of the game when Father's Day rolls around. Use code: FATHER10 at checkout.
Now head on down there and get your entries in because you can't win if you don't enter...
Saturday, May 19, 2012
The Cloth Wipes Review
*This entry mentions snot, poop, and other messes... you've been warned!*
When I started out with cloth diapering, I wasn't going to use cloth wipes. Sure, I was okay with cloth diapers and spraying the poop off of them... but wipes? That's just plain silly! Fast forward to a large order I placed for FuzziBunz from KellysCloset.com -- I got a cloth diaper package that included a sprayer and some cloth wipes. It was the one-size FuzziBunz, they didn't have the Elite then... but same package pretty much. I wasn't going to discard the wipes, so I figured I'd hold onto them for just wiping up whatever mess needed it. Essentially, I got "wash cloths".
Not long after we started using our cloth diapers, I realized how wasteful the disposable wipes were. (Especially when my husband would always leave the container OPEN!) I started looking into cloth wipes and quickly saw the reviews saying they only needed 2-3 at most for the messiest of diapers. What?! Here we are using like, TEN! That was that... the disposable wipes had to go. I decided that paper tissues were too wasteful, so I decided I was switching to cloth for that too.
Since that day, I've acquired many different brands of wipes looking for the 'perfect' wipe. Perfect for bottoms, perfect for noses, perfect for hands, and for those (upper!) cheeks. I wanted to compare them, but to do so for all aspects, I needed something my son (unfortunately) shared with me: a cold. What better way to test out all the wipes for noses than on my own? I would like to preface this by saying that my nose was already chapped from the disposable tissues that I had been using at work. On the bright side, this will let me know just how gentle the wipes can be when you're already sensitive like that!
I would like to offer the following information in regards to the reviews:
- All items were prepped/washed with GroVia™ Tiny Bubbles detergent and are dried with Wooly Rounds Wool Dryer Balls
- For cleaning hands/faces, only some water was used on the wipe(s)
- For cleaning Bums, only Baby Bum Drops Wipes Solution was used
- For cleaning up messes, evaluation was performed on my son's highchair tray. I purposefully let the foods dry on there (or partially dry to get a bit rubbery), as well as used on fresh foods for a full range of cleaning capabilities.
- Since my son is a toddler (and I didn't use cloth when he was a newborn), I can only compare to what I've experienced when referring to bum cleaning. For the most part, his poops are "moldable" solids that will leave discolouration or pieces stuck to his skin. He is still breastfed, however, and while he was sick, he did end up with very runny messes as he primarily nursed and wanted no food.
I would also like to state that all of the wipes had pictures taken *AFTER* I did a complete stripping using chlorine bleach. No, they don't really look any different (nor do they feel different), so that might be a relief for some people to know. I was very concerned about them since my first time stripping anything I used colour-safe bleach and some of my wipes got really dry and stiff feeling. Very disappointing since they were normally so fluffy and soft! (They were Thirsties Fab wipes).
Along with the discovery of colour-safe bleach damaging my Thirsties Fab wipes, I also learned the hard way to not dry my FuzziBunz Wipes on high-heat. I didn't think anything of the fact that one side is cotton, the other fleece.... until the cotton side strunk causing them to curl a bit (as you can see in the pictures). All of the wipes shown below were dried on high heat after their initial prepping. I experienced this happening to a couple of my Thirsties Fab wipes, but nowhere near the degree of curling/shrinking that the FuzziBunz wipes had. In fact, it was only a slight curl if any at all with those.
Wipes being compared from Left to Right:
Left to Right: IttiBitti, Thirsties Fab, Grovia, FuzziBunz, Planetwise, AppleCheeks, BabyKicks
Up against each other (thickness comparison/stitching comparison) from Bottom to Top:
Bottom to top: IttiBitti, Thirsties Fab, GroVia, FuzziBunz, Planetwise, AppleCheeks, BabyKicks
**********
itti*bitti Ultimate Wipes
Both sides of this 2-ply wipe are velour, making them the thickest (and softest!) that I've seen. The velour is held together with stitching around the edges. The wipes come in either packages of white velour on one side, colour on the other, or two different colours per wipe. They measure about 9.6"x9.6", also making them some of the largest I've seen.
*Please note that I accidentally did not have my hand all the way down to the corner of the wipe like I did in all the following photos. This wipe is larger than it looks due to my hand placement.*
Noses: These are the thickest wipes I own, but also the softest! They were divine against my poor, chapped nose! They easily held up against my ever-draining nose and did a good job grabbing the snot. Like the other velour wipes, they did smear a bit when I tried to use them on my son. Again, this is likely due to the fact he doesn't understand how to 'blow' his nose yet.
Hands/Faces: Messy faces are a breeze with this wipe, and so are the hands (if you can hold them still!). They grabbed sticky and grimy things really well. Not only are they super soft against the skin, but they have a lot more surface area, allowing you to potentially use one for both hands and face. (No guarantees, I don't know how messy your kids get, and my little one has pretty much no hair!)
Bums: Being larger, you need less of these wipes when cleaning up messes. Both sides are super soft to be gentle where your little one needs it, but have enough texture (if going against the fabric grain) to grab poop particles. Like the other velour wipes, I have noticed a bit of a smearing or pushing-around of poop, but not as much as with the other velour wipes.
Household Messes: While handling food and sticky items fairly well (and being rather absorbent!), I feel like it's a waste of their softness using it on a counter or other surface! They are nice for wiping off a messy baby though, so if it's already messy, why not use it on a counter to finish cleaning up the mess?
**********
Thirsties Fab
These wipes are very soft and plush. They are made of two different materials. One side is a plush velour, and the other side is microfleece. They are stitched together around the edges, measuring 8"x8".
Noses: These are pleasantly soft on your skin, so they were a no-brainer for me when I got a cold. I did enjoy how gentle they were against my skin, but occasionally had issues getting them to 'grab' all the gooeyness, sometimes resulting in me having to wipe multiple times (which can add to the dryness, regardless of how soft the tissue is!). I also experienced this when attempting to wipe my toddler's runny nose. At 14 months, he didn't know how to 'assist' with the nose blowing/wiping, so he'd have long, slimy strings dangling as I pulled the wipe away.
Hands/Faces: Decent job cleaning up, but not grubby fingers. For things still wet (perhaps fresh yogurt or puree), these are great. For slightly dried stuff or grubby fingers I found stuff left behind and had to re-wipe the areas.
Bums: Being super soft, these are easily a go-to wipe for the diaper area. I'm never worried about being too rough on any of the sensitive areas with these wipes. The velour side is supposed to help grab messes and the microfleece is supposed to be good for light cleanings or drying off. I do find that if the poop is really runny that it sometimes smears it or pushes it around instead of grabbing it. This isn't always the case, but is frustrating when it does happen.
Household Messes: All food (dried, wet, and rubbery) wiped up easily with just some hot water and a little pressure. These wipes are a bit thicker than most of the others, so it was able to hold more water to scrub/wipe with.
**********
GroVia™ Cloth Wipes
These wipes are made of a soft terry fabric. They are comprised of two layers sewn together around the edges. They only come in white, and measure 8"x8".They are not overly soft, but still gentle and with a bit of fluff to them.
First picture without flash, second with (It was hard to get a good shot of an all-white wipe!)
Noses: These were easily gentle enough while still having enough texture to grab any gooey stuff. They were ideal for re-use because anything on the wipe dried well enough to not clump the wipe together or remain sticky.
Hands/Faces: These do a good job getting that grubbiness off of little fingers and faces while not being overly rough on the skin.
Bums: It doesn't matter what kind of poop you're facing, these wipes do a good job and will help with even the messiest of poops. I wish they were a bit larger, as I seem to have trouble getting them to get everything with one wipe. (This may have something to do with how thick the layers are so when I fold them to use clean surface, they get so thick I can't fold much more.)
Household Messes: These wipes handled all types of food very well. They also held water well for cleaning those dried-on foods.
**********
FuzziBunz(R) DOUBLE Sided Wipes - Organic Cotton / Fleece
One side of these wipes are fleece, the other side of fleece (as the name might suggest). They are 9"x9" squares with stitching around the edges. The colour is mostly white, although there are sometimes hints of light shades of other natural tones (cream, brown).
First picture without flash, second with (It was hard to get a good shot of an all-white wipe!)
Noses: It didn't matter what side was used, both sides equally wiped up snot very efficiently! Pleasantly soft, too! Successfully wiped snot (and grabbed it all) from my wiggly toddler. (...now if only he learned how to 'blow' when I ask!)
Hands/Faces: I was surprised how well these did with this, actually. I wet the wipe and tried both sides on my son's face after a particularly messy meal. Again, both sides performed equally well. They got the dried/caked foods with ease, the wet foods with ease, and I know they were soft on his face! I also used the same wipe to follow up on a hand after a different wipe I tried left stuff behind.
Bums: I was impressed with how well these cleaned up poop! I honestly expected them to smear a bit, or not grab very much, but my son put them to the test and we only needed a total of two (because I like using a clean wipe after he looks 'clean' to ensure that I got everything).
Household Messes: These wipes handled rubbery foods, caked on foods, and wet foods with ease. It was easy to contain the foods within the wipe too (if needed) when using the fleece side.
**********
Planet Wise Flannel Wipes
These wipes are thin, and take up very little space in a diaper bag, purse, wipe bag, etc. They are the a single piece of fabric with stitching around the edges, and are 8"x8". They are sold in colour sets of two. I went with the Lime/Chocolate. As far as softness goes, these are not as soft as I expected. Perhaps I was thinking of my son's super soft, thick, flannel pajamas when I ordered them. Due to this, I was a bit disappointed when I got them.
Noses: These work well for cleaning up noses, but they weren't too gentle after the skin got dried or chapped. It was easy to wipe up runny snot with this material
Hands/Faces: These are good little wipes for hands and faces. They grab food residue decently, and due to the small size, you can always keep plenty on hand.
Bums: These wipes performed better than I thought they would for cleaning up poop, but they didn't grab tiny pieces very well. If you pinched with the wipes, obviously it would pick up whatever you were going for, but if you're just wiping (like I did), pieces will fall because there isn't enough texture on the wipe to snag anything.
Household Messes: These can't hold much water, so for something you need a good amount of wetness to wipe up/off these aren't the best. They did, however, do a great job scrubbing/wiping off any food stuck or splattered on the surface, but you might need multiple wipes due to how thin these are.
**********
AppleCheeks Plush Rayon from Bamboo Wipes
These wipes are very soft, and have larger loops for the material. They remind me of washcloths with the way the little loops stick out. They are 8"x8" squares, and all white.They may not be velour, but they are still super soft!
First picture without flash, second with
Noses: These did a great job with collecting and holding snot from both me and my toddler. They were also nice and soft against our skin, but the fabric was textured enough to where they grabbed what they needed with ease.
Hands/Faces: Essentially, these are like really soft wash cloths. They cleaned both hands and faces quickly and thoroughly.
Bums: Being so soft, these are one of my top wipes for bums. They are super gentle, but also super effective and snagging poo particles and cleaning up in general. The fabric has lots of little loops and that helps clean all the creases well, too.
Household Messes: Again, these are essentially super soft wash cloths. They took out any mess I put them up against with flying colours. I would easily use these for pretty much any task at hand (so long as it wouldn't ruin them).
**********
BabyKicks Hemp Washies/Wipes
These wipes are hemp fleece and, unlike the other wipes, are cut into 7.5" x 9.5" ovals instead of squares. The edges have coloured stitching.
I was very excited when I ordered these wipes because all the reviews said they were very soft and worked great for cleanups. Bonus? They are good for cleaning lenses on cameras, glasses, etc. Yes, very excited when I ordered these. I prepped them, dried them.... and thought I did something wrong. They are not soft. One side of them is smooth, the other textured (for grabbing messes), but it's always felt like a softer version of burlap material to me. I was hesitant to use this on my son's bottom due to the way it felt to me.
Noses: These are too rough to use on noses. They do a good job of grabbing up any of the gooeyness as opposed to smearing it around, but it was painful on my chapped skin. I had used them to experiment with prior to having the cold, and they were uncomfortable to use as a tissue then, too.
Hands/Faces: Due to how uncomfortable they were for blowing noses, I really don't like using them on faces. I will keep them handy for when my son randomly wants to just let whatever is in his mouth pour out because they do a great job with that, and they are good for getting that grubbiness off of hands (like after my little one eats his 'doodles' which leave a film on the fingers much like cheetos or doritos would)
Bums: I think these are too rough for use on diaper regions -- ESPECIALLY if your little one has any sores. I have taken to reaching for these and sliding them under his bum to prevent poop from getting on our changing table (and to catch any extra he decides to release... because he sometimes has to show off his pooping skills to me I guess)
Household Messes: Being a bit rougher (at least to me!), these wipes do a great job with helping loosen any stuck-on items. They performed equally well with the rubbery (partially dried) foods. Since they are one-ply and a thinner material in general, they don't hold a lot of mess in them if you're collecting food as you're wiping. They wipe up wet foods well too, but again, they cannot hold much. This limits them in terms of cleaning up since they can't retain water in the amount you might need if there is a dried-on mess away from the sink. These would work great as a dish rag in the sink though.
**********
There is one area that is the same for *ALL* of the above wipes.... they all grab cat hair super easily! We are in a household that has 3 cats, and all of the wipes seem to end up with hair on them, and they all seem to be equally as difficult to pick the hair off of!
With all that said, I still have more wipes that I could compare, but those will come in either an addition to this post (much later!), or a separate post all together. Out of all the wipes above, I like many of them for different purposes. I also have a few I simply reserve for uses other than bottoms because they are either too rough (BabyKicks) or just don't grab well enough (Planetwise).
What are YOUR favorite wipes, what do YOU use them for, and why?
If you have any brand of wipes that you'd like me to review, please feel free to contact me at: Thoughtsoffluff@gmail.com
or find me on FaceBook!
*All opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated in any way for the reviews of these products.
When I started out with cloth diapering, I wasn't going to use cloth wipes. Sure, I was okay with cloth diapers and spraying the poop off of them... but wipes? That's just plain silly! Fast forward to a large order I placed for FuzziBunz from KellysCloset.com -- I got a cloth diaper package that included a sprayer and some cloth wipes. It was the one-size FuzziBunz, they didn't have the Elite then... but same package pretty much. I wasn't going to discard the wipes, so I figured I'd hold onto them for just wiping up whatever mess needed it. Essentially, I got "wash cloths".
Not long after we started using our cloth diapers, I realized how wasteful the disposable wipes were. (Especially when my husband would always leave the container OPEN!) I started looking into cloth wipes and quickly saw the reviews saying they only needed 2-3 at most for the messiest of diapers. What?! Here we are using like, TEN! That was that... the disposable wipes had to go. I decided that paper tissues were too wasteful, so I decided I was switching to cloth for that too.
Since that day, I've acquired many different brands of wipes looking for the 'perfect' wipe. Perfect for bottoms, perfect for noses, perfect for hands, and for those (upper!) cheeks. I wanted to compare them, but to do so for all aspects, I needed something my son (unfortunately) shared with me: a cold. What better way to test out all the wipes for noses than on my own? I would like to preface this by saying that my nose was already chapped from the disposable tissues that I had been using at work. On the bright side, this will let me know just how gentle the wipes can be when you're already sensitive like that!
I would like to offer the following information in regards to the reviews:
- All items were prepped/washed with GroVia™ Tiny Bubbles detergent and are dried with Wooly Rounds Wool Dryer Balls
- For cleaning hands/faces, only some water was used on the wipe(s)
- For cleaning Bums, only Baby Bum Drops Wipes Solution was used
- For cleaning up messes, evaluation was performed on my son's highchair tray. I purposefully let the foods dry on there (or partially dry to get a bit rubbery), as well as used on fresh foods for a full range of cleaning capabilities.
- Since my son is a toddler (and I didn't use cloth when he was a newborn), I can only compare to what I've experienced when referring to bum cleaning. For the most part, his poops are "moldable" solids that will leave discolouration or pieces stuck to his skin. He is still breastfed, however, and while he was sick, he did end up with very runny messes as he primarily nursed and wanted no food.
*We use a spray bottle and store the wipes dry*
I would also like to state that all of the wipes had pictures taken *AFTER* I did a complete stripping using chlorine bleach. No, they don't really look any different (nor do they feel different), so that might be a relief for some people to know. I was very concerned about them since my first time stripping anything I used colour-safe bleach and some of my wipes got really dry and stiff feeling. Very disappointing since they were normally so fluffy and soft! (They were Thirsties Fab wipes).
Along with the discovery of colour-safe bleach damaging my Thirsties Fab wipes, I also learned the hard way to not dry my FuzziBunz Wipes on high-heat. I didn't think anything of the fact that one side is cotton, the other fleece.... until the cotton side strunk causing them to curl a bit (as you can see in the pictures). All of the wipes shown below were dried on high heat after their initial prepping. I experienced this happening to a couple of my Thirsties Fab wipes, but nowhere near the degree of curling/shrinking that the FuzziBunz wipes had. In fact, it was only a slight curl if any at all with those.
Wipes being compared from Left to Right:
Left to Right: IttiBitti, Thirsties Fab, Grovia, FuzziBunz, Planetwise, AppleCheeks, BabyKicks
Up against each other (thickness comparison/stitching comparison) from Bottom to Top:
Bottom to top: IttiBitti, Thirsties Fab, GroVia, FuzziBunz, Planetwise, AppleCheeks, BabyKicks
**********
itti*bitti Ultimate Wipes
Both sides of this 2-ply wipe are velour, making them the thickest (and softest!) that I've seen. The velour is held together with stitching around the edges. The wipes come in either packages of white velour on one side, colour on the other, or two different colours per wipe. They measure about 9.6"x9.6", also making them some of the largest I've seen.
*Please note that I accidentally did not have my hand all the way down to the corner of the wipe like I did in all the following photos. This wipe is larger than it looks due to my hand placement.*
Noses: These are the thickest wipes I own, but also the softest! They were divine against my poor, chapped nose! They easily held up against my ever-draining nose and did a good job grabbing the snot. Like the other velour wipes, they did smear a bit when I tried to use them on my son. Again, this is likely due to the fact he doesn't understand how to 'blow' his nose yet.
Hands/Faces: Messy faces are a breeze with this wipe, and so are the hands (if you can hold them still!). They grabbed sticky and grimy things really well. Not only are they super soft against the skin, but they have a lot more surface area, allowing you to potentially use one for both hands and face. (No guarantees, I don't know how messy your kids get, and my little one has pretty much no hair!)
Bums: Being larger, you need less of these wipes when cleaning up messes. Both sides are super soft to be gentle where your little one needs it, but have enough texture (if going against the fabric grain) to grab poop particles. Like the other velour wipes, I have noticed a bit of a smearing or pushing-around of poop, but not as much as with the other velour wipes.
Household Messes: While handling food and sticky items fairly well (and being rather absorbent!), I feel like it's a waste of their softness using it on a counter or other surface! They are nice for wiping off a messy baby though, so if it's already messy, why not use it on a counter to finish cleaning up the mess?
**********
Thirsties Fab
These wipes are very soft and plush. They are made of two different materials. One side is a plush velour, and the other side is microfleece. They are stitched together around the edges, measuring 8"x8".
Noses: These are pleasantly soft on your skin, so they were a no-brainer for me when I got a cold. I did enjoy how gentle they were against my skin, but occasionally had issues getting them to 'grab' all the gooeyness, sometimes resulting in me having to wipe multiple times (which can add to the dryness, regardless of how soft the tissue is!). I also experienced this when attempting to wipe my toddler's runny nose. At 14 months, he didn't know how to 'assist' with the nose blowing/wiping, so he'd have long, slimy strings dangling as I pulled the wipe away.
Hands/Faces: Decent job cleaning up, but not grubby fingers. For things still wet (perhaps fresh yogurt or puree), these are great. For slightly dried stuff or grubby fingers I found stuff left behind and had to re-wipe the areas.
Bums: Being super soft, these are easily a go-to wipe for the diaper area. I'm never worried about being too rough on any of the sensitive areas with these wipes. The velour side is supposed to help grab messes and the microfleece is supposed to be good for light cleanings or drying off. I do find that if the poop is really runny that it sometimes smears it or pushes it around instead of grabbing it. This isn't always the case, but is frustrating when it does happen.
Household Messes: All food (dried, wet, and rubbery) wiped up easily with just some hot water and a little pressure. These wipes are a bit thicker than most of the others, so it was able to hold more water to scrub/wipe with.
**********
GroVia™ Cloth Wipes
These wipes are made of a soft terry fabric. They are comprised of two layers sewn together around the edges. They only come in white, and measure 8"x8".They are not overly soft, but still gentle and with a bit of fluff to them.
First picture without flash, second with (It was hard to get a good shot of an all-white wipe!)
Noses: These were easily gentle enough while still having enough texture to grab any gooey stuff. They were ideal for re-use because anything on the wipe dried well enough to not clump the wipe together or remain sticky.
Hands/Faces: These do a good job getting that grubbiness off of little fingers and faces while not being overly rough on the skin.
Bums: It doesn't matter what kind of poop you're facing, these wipes do a good job and will help with even the messiest of poops. I wish they were a bit larger, as I seem to have trouble getting them to get everything with one wipe. (This may have something to do with how thick the layers are so when I fold them to use clean surface, they get so thick I can't fold much more.)
Household Messes: These wipes handled all types of food very well. They also held water well for cleaning those dried-on foods.
**********
FuzziBunz(R) DOUBLE Sided Wipes - Organic Cotton / Fleece
One side of these wipes are fleece, the other side of fleece (as the name might suggest). They are 9"x9" squares with stitching around the edges. The colour is mostly white, although there are sometimes hints of light shades of other natural tones (cream, brown).
First picture without flash, second with (It was hard to get a good shot of an all-white wipe!)
Noses: It didn't matter what side was used, both sides equally wiped up snot very efficiently! Pleasantly soft, too! Successfully wiped snot (and grabbed it all) from my wiggly toddler. (...now if only he learned how to 'blow' when I ask!)
Hands/Faces: I was surprised how well these did with this, actually. I wet the wipe and tried both sides on my son's face after a particularly messy meal. Again, both sides performed equally well. They got the dried/caked foods with ease, the wet foods with ease, and I know they were soft on his face! I also used the same wipe to follow up on a hand after a different wipe I tried left stuff behind.
Bums: I was impressed with how well these cleaned up poop! I honestly expected them to smear a bit, or not grab very much, but my son put them to the test and we only needed a total of two (because I like using a clean wipe after he looks 'clean' to ensure that I got everything).
Household Messes: These wipes handled rubbery foods, caked on foods, and wet foods with ease. It was easy to contain the foods within the wipe too (if needed) when using the fleece side.
**********
Planet Wise Flannel Wipes
These wipes are thin, and take up very little space in a diaper bag, purse, wipe bag, etc. They are the a single piece of fabric with stitching around the edges, and are 8"x8". They are sold in colour sets of two. I went with the Lime/Chocolate. As far as softness goes, these are not as soft as I expected. Perhaps I was thinking of my son's super soft, thick, flannel pajamas when I ordered them. Due to this, I was a bit disappointed when I got them.
Noses: These work well for cleaning up noses, but they weren't too gentle after the skin got dried or chapped. It was easy to wipe up runny snot with this material
Hands/Faces: These are good little wipes for hands and faces. They grab food residue decently, and due to the small size, you can always keep plenty on hand.
Bums: These wipes performed better than I thought they would for cleaning up poop, but they didn't grab tiny pieces very well. If you pinched with the wipes, obviously it would pick up whatever you were going for, but if you're just wiping (like I did), pieces will fall because there isn't enough texture on the wipe to snag anything.
Household Messes: These can't hold much water, so for something you need a good amount of wetness to wipe up/off these aren't the best. They did, however, do a great job scrubbing/wiping off any food stuck or splattered on the surface, but you might need multiple wipes due to how thin these are.
**********
AppleCheeks Plush Rayon from Bamboo Wipes
These wipes are very soft, and have larger loops for the material. They remind me of washcloths with the way the little loops stick out. They are 8"x8" squares, and all white.They may not be velour, but they are still super soft!
First picture without flash, second with
Noses: These did a great job with collecting and holding snot from both me and my toddler. They were also nice and soft against our skin, but the fabric was textured enough to where they grabbed what they needed with ease.
Hands/Faces: Essentially, these are like really soft wash cloths. They cleaned both hands and faces quickly and thoroughly.
Bums: Being so soft, these are one of my top wipes for bums. They are super gentle, but also super effective and snagging poo particles and cleaning up in general. The fabric has lots of little loops and that helps clean all the creases well, too.
Household Messes: Again, these are essentially super soft wash cloths. They took out any mess I put them up against with flying colours. I would easily use these for pretty much any task at hand (so long as it wouldn't ruin them).
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BabyKicks Hemp Washies/Wipes
These wipes are hemp fleece and, unlike the other wipes, are cut into 7.5" x 9.5" ovals instead of squares. The edges have coloured stitching.
I was very excited when I ordered these wipes because all the reviews said they were very soft and worked great for cleanups. Bonus? They are good for cleaning lenses on cameras, glasses, etc. Yes, very excited when I ordered these. I prepped them, dried them.... and thought I did something wrong. They are not soft. One side of them is smooth, the other textured (for grabbing messes), but it's always felt like a softer version of burlap material to me. I was hesitant to use this on my son's bottom due to the way it felt to me.
Noses: These are too rough to use on noses. They do a good job of grabbing up any of the gooeyness as opposed to smearing it around, but it was painful on my chapped skin. I had used them to experiment with prior to having the cold, and they were uncomfortable to use as a tissue then, too.
Hands/Faces: Due to how uncomfortable they were for blowing noses, I really don't like using them on faces. I will keep them handy for when my son randomly wants to just let whatever is in his mouth pour out because they do a great job with that, and they are good for getting that grubbiness off of hands (like after my little one eats his 'doodles' which leave a film on the fingers much like cheetos or doritos would)
Bums: I think these are too rough for use on diaper regions -- ESPECIALLY if your little one has any sores. I have taken to reaching for these and sliding them under his bum to prevent poop from getting on our changing table (and to catch any extra he decides to release... because he sometimes has to show off his pooping skills to me I guess)
Household Messes: Being a bit rougher (at least to me!), these wipes do a great job with helping loosen any stuck-on items. They performed equally well with the rubbery (partially dried) foods. Since they are one-ply and a thinner material in general, they don't hold a lot of mess in them if you're collecting food as you're wiping. They wipe up wet foods well too, but again, they cannot hold much. This limits them in terms of cleaning up since they can't retain water in the amount you might need if there is a dried-on mess away from the sink. These would work great as a dish rag in the sink though.
**********
There is one area that is the same for *ALL* of the above wipes.... they all grab cat hair super easily! We are in a household that has 3 cats, and all of the wipes seem to end up with hair on them, and they all seem to be equally as difficult to pick the hair off of!
With all that said, I still have more wipes that I could compare, but those will come in either an addition to this post (much later!), or a separate post all together. Out of all the wipes above, I like many of them for different purposes. I also have a few I simply reserve for uses other than bottoms because they are either too rough (BabyKicks) or just don't grab well enough (Planetwise).
What are YOUR favorite wipes, what do YOU use them for, and why?
If you have any brand of wipes that you'd like me to review, please feel free to contact me at: Thoughtsoffluff@gmail.com
or find me on FaceBook!
*All opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated in any way for the reviews of these products.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Dad's backyard oasis giveaway!
Come back on May 20th to enter Dad's Backyard Oasis Giveaway!
GRAND PRIZE:
One grand prize winner will receive each of the following:
The event will begin on May 20, 2012 at 12:01 pm. EST and will end on June 3, 2012 11:59 pm.
– hosted by Bella Savvy and Mom to Bed by 8
GRAND PRIZE:
One grand prize winner will receive each of the following:
- 20V MAX Lithium Drill/Driver
- 2-speed Quick Clean Sprayer
- 36V Lithium High Performance String Trimmer with Power Command
- Garden IQ Hand Tools Series — including pruners, hedge shears, steel trowel, culti-hoe, heavy duty hose nozzle, water hand hose attachment, miscellaneous safety items AND work gloves
- Total value of $500
The event will begin on May 20, 2012 at 12:01 pm. EST and will end on June 3, 2012 11:59 pm.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway
Bright Starts and Mom to Bed by 8, the Iowa-Mom have teamed to offer an amazing Bright Starts Sunnyside Safari Collection giveaway to one lucky reader!
This includes the Sunnyside Safari™ Chair Top High Chair, Playard, Plug in Sway & Swing, Portable Swing and Saucer making this truly the Ultimate Baby Shower Gift.
Special thank you to the wonderful bloggers who made this possible including our co-hosts: To Sew with Love, The Lucky Ladybug and Mom Blog Society.
I'm really excited to be part of this giveaway, as these are some really fantastic prizes! We got plenty of use out of our saucer, bouncy seat and the bassinet section of our playard. The swings will be great for helping soothe a fussy baby (especially the portable swing... you could even leave that at grandma's or at the baby sitter's!), and I absolutely LOVE this high chair because it allows the little ones to be part of the action at the table instead of being nearby. This is also an adorable print that is great for boys and girls alike! Good luck, everyone!
Big smiles and bright adventures go hand in hand in this exciting, fun-filled collection!
Take a walk on the sunny side-where baby gear goes together in delightful new ways. It's a win for infants and parents alike, with irresistable jungle characters adorning an array of fun coordinated products you'll use every day. Each piece of the collection does its job charmingly, with non-stop fun at an unbeatable value.
The Bright Starts Sunnyside Collection is available at Wal-Mart!
Sunnyside Safari™ Chair Top High ChairA good high chair is a must for moms, and Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Chair Top High Chair is as good as they come! It does what a full-sized model does and more, adjusting to four different heights (and nearly any table), reclining to three positions, and converting to a booster seat for smooth transition to the toddler years.
The reversible seat pad is made of stain-resistant fabric you can wipe clean or machine-wash. The removable Stay Level Tray™ remains flat even when the seat is reclining. All this, plus the friendly characters of the Sunnyside Safari™ Collection. Make mealtime and snack time more enjoyable for baby and you. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™
Product Features:
- Convenient 2 piece reversible seat pad is made of stain resistant fabric that is wipeable and machine washable
- 4 height positions to fit most table sizes
- 3 position recline
- Removable Stay Level Tray™ remains level even when seat is reclined
- 3 locking positions to grow with baby
- Built-in holders are convenient for drinks or snacks
- Converts to booster for easy toddler transition
- 5 point convertible safety harness
Sunnyside Safari™ PlayardA bright, sunny place for baby to rest, play, get a quick diaper change and spend a few moments with some friendly jungle pals! That's the Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Playard. This playard includes a removable bassinet with our time-saving One Less Step™ feature for easy fold-and-go mobility.
There's a convenient changing table, a handy side storage pocket, easy-roll wheels, a travel bag, plus a colorful toy bar to delight baby. And like all Bright Starts™ products, this playard is an unbeatable value. Part of our coordinated Sunnyside Safari™ Collection. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™
Product Features:
- Removable bassinet with One Less Step™ to quickly fold and go
- Convenient changing table
- Toy bar with 2 fun toys
- Side storage pocket
- Wheels for easy portability
- Includes travel bag
Sunnyside Safari™ Plug in Sway & Swing™Some swings go back and forth. Some go side to side. This one does both—and does it with music, toys, and delightful jungle style. With a seat designed for 180° rotation, allowing three swing directions, the Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Plug in Sway & Swing™ uses our unique TrueSpeed™ technology to sense baby's weight and adjust for consistent speed—so it grows along with baby.
The swing also boasts a volume-adjustable 20 minutes of melodies and nature sounds, an overhead mobile—even an AC adaptor to save on battery expense. And it features the fun and engaging characters of the Sunnyside Safari™ Collection. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™
Product Features:
- Seat rotates 180° for 3 swing directions
- TrueSpeed™ technology maintains 6 speeds as baby grows
- Mobiles with 2 playtime toys easily pivots out of the way
- 20 minutes of melodies and nature sounds with volume control and auto shut-off
- AC adaptor saves money on batteries
- Swing time with 3 settings: 30, 45 and 60 minutes
- Whisper Quiet™ operation
- 5 point harness
- Machine washable seat pad
- Non-slip feet
Sunnyside Safari™ Portable SwingFind baby's favorite speed with this innovative portable swing. The Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Portable Swing is a win for parents and babies—from its machine-washable padded seat right down to its bright yellow, non-slip feet. With six distinct speeds to choose from, you'll find it easy to suit your little one's mood—and our patented TrueSpeed™ technology keeps those speeds consistent even as baby grows.
The Comfort Recline™ seat gives you a choice of two positions, and WhisperQuiet™ operation makes this swing silent in use. Wrap it all up in the super-fun animal decor and you've got a perfect travel companion. Part of Bright Starts™’ Sunnyside Safari™ Collection. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™
Features:
- TrueSpeed™ Technology maintains 6 speeds as baby grows
- Comfort Recline™ seat with 2 positions
- Whisper Quiet™ operation
- Easily folds for storage or travel
- 5 point harness
- Machine washable seat pad
- Non-slip feet
Sunnyside Safari™ SaucerThis is where babies go for serious fun. A Walmart exclusive, the 7-activity Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Saucer offers entertainment options galore—and a lighthearted jungle theme with fun characters you'll adore.
The seat rotates a full 360° for endless interaction with the activity stations. Twin overhead toy arms provide even more entertainment options. And the three different height positions make this one saucer your baby won't soon outgrow. Four link loops mean still more toys can be attached. Part of the Sunnyside Safari™ Collection, this saucer will quickly become a family favorite. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™
Product Features:
- 3 adjustable height positions allows entertainer to grow with baby
- Seat rotates 360° for nonstop interaction with 7 activity stations
- 2 overhead toy bar arms with mirror, hanging toy and fabric crinkle leaves
- Hanging elephant toy
- Bendy giraffe teething stalk
- Bead chaser with easy to grip textured beads
- Lion popper with spiraling beads
- Rotating ladybug barrels with fun textures and beads
- Rocking toucan on leaf stalk
- 4 link loops for attaching more toys
- Lays flat for storage
- Built-in toy tray is easy to clean
Giveaway starts on May 7 at 12:01AM and ends May 28 at 11:59PM. Open to the US residents only; must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Enter to win the Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway including the Sunnyside Safari Collection on the rafflecopter form below.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Guest Post: Silisqueeze Review: UNCENSORED!
Recently my family and I have fallen in love with the
fruit/veg purees in a disposable squeeze packet available in most grocery
stores. However, at $1-$2 a pop they're a bit of a money eater. Solution? Find
a reusable container that I can add my own purees to. A quick search online
brought me to Silisqueeze:
At $11 each they're a bit pricey but I did the math and
realized that in less than 4 weeks we'll be saving quite a bit of money, not to
mention sparing the landfill of more waste. I decided to give them a shot.
I purchased a pretty soft orange 4 oz and a cheery apple
red 6 oz container. I also purchased a faster flow nipple that the makers state
is intended for older children. I wanted a faster flow one just in case my 11
month old got frustrated with the trainer nipple (like most non-spill nipples
it requires the child to bite down on the nipple AND suck).
After a few days my products arrived. I got everything as
stated but was a little annoyed to see that they individually plastic bagged
EVERYTHING. Which meant that each bottle and nipple was in its own plastic bag
with its own set of instructions. The extra nipples were also in their own bag
with instructions. Three sets of instructions saying the same thing. It was a
lot of redundancy and a lot of paper waste. I could excuse the extra nipples
but if they sell the 4 and 6 oz as a set why don't they package them as a set?
But nevermind that, businesses do a lot of things I don't
understand. The bottles -or “squeeze” if you prefer- were very pretty to look
at and very soft to handle. They're very easy to take apart and to reassemble.
Cleaning them is a breeze (note: because the nipples are clear silicone they
WILL stain over time but their softness does not change). I decided to try the
bottles out with my 11 month old using the fast flow nipples so that he would
get an immediate reward for sucking on the bottle. I happily filled it up with
Greek yogurt and fruit puree and sat back and watched as my little guy CHUGGED
it. So far so good.
Putting purees into the bottle is simple because the neck
is nice and wide and can accommodate a whole tablespoon, which makes it easy to
stir and mix inside the container. I particularly liked that there are ounce
markings on the side which makes it easy to portion. When using the lid you will
have to push extra hard with your thumbs the first few times because it is
stuck on there HARD. The caregivers at my son's daycare were terrified that
they would break it.
After having used this for a few weeks I am happy to say
that I love this product. It is perfect for what I need. It makes feeding my
Bug fruit and yogurt while on the go a snap. I do have a few issues with it,
though:
1) The lid does not stop puree from coming out of the
nipple. With milk bottles the cap is designed to cover the holes snuggly so
that if you flip the bottle upside down no milk comes out. The cap on the
Silisqueeze does not. So, if you have the fast flow nipple and you accidentally
press on the container, puree will fill the cap making quite a mess.
2) One of the things that made the disposable containers
nice is that as your baby sucked on it the container would collapse bringing
more of the puree to the nipple. When using the slow flow non-spill nipple you
get this to a certain degree, but it doesn't collapse all the way. When using
the fast flow nipple your baby will suck in air each time as they try to get
the last spoonfuls. We countered this by putting one finger over the hole and
shaking down a couple times and then handing it back. Do keep in mind that the fast
flow IS intended for older children who will know how to push the puree up and
expel the air that way.
3) There is no place to clip the cap when in use so when
your child is tipping it back they will inevitably get smacked in the face. I
like that the cap is tethered to the nipple but it frustrates my Bug when he
gets hit. I may decide to untether it.
Nonetheless, despite these issues, I love this product and
would recommend it to anyone.
About Bonnie: Bonnie lives in Cincinnati, OH with her husband, 11
month old son, and 3 hyper-active cats. She is an avid advocate of
breastfeeding, baby-wearing, and cupcake eating.
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