The NEW and improved bumGenius Elemental

by: Tonia Derouin

The NEW and improved bumGenius Elemental is a one size, all-in-one cloth diaper made with a 100% organic

cotton inside. The Elemental features a new ultra trim fit, adjusted sizing to fit more babies better and you can

easily tuck in additional inserts for increased absorbency. The organic cotton 6-layer soaker is sewn on each

end of the diaper but is not attached to the sides which better accommodates additional inserts and allows for faster

drying time. It has snap closures, a waterproof outer cover and is made in the USA!

In the new design (shown on left), the organic cotton is

no longer attached at the sides allowing for a better, trimmer

fit than the original version (shown on right).

I previously owned the original version of the bumGenius Elemental and I definitely prefer the new and improved design. My two biggest complaints about the original version were leaks around the leg area due to the organic cotton 'rolling' outside of the waterproof cover and the drying time. Both of these issues were addressed in the new design and I now love this diaper! I use it as a nighttime diaper for my 23 pound, 16 month old daughter and have never had a leak. I add a Thirsties doubler and a Zorb insert between the two, layered, organic cotton soakers and even with the added inserts, the diaper still fits very well and is super trim. Out of curiosity, I decided to weigh the diaper before and after use to see just how much was being absorbed by this workhorse diaper. The clean, dry diaper (with added inserts) weighs 6.5 ounces and in the morning after being on my babe for 13+ hours, the diaper weighed in at 1 pound, 9 ounces! That is over a pound of liquid absorbed without any leakage. I love this diaper and would definitely recommend it as a good daytime or nighttime option for any babe! 

As shown in the above photo (with the original version laid on top of the NEW version), the NEW version is now wider and will fit more babies better!

 

The organic cotton soakers are now sewn differently allowing for easier stuffing, faster drying and a more trim fit.

September Mom's Night In Winners List

Party here.

Thirsties set #1... Janelle Allen-Cavanagh!

Thirsties set #2... Jessica Olson!

Thirsties set #3... Robyn Danielle!

CMC Bath set... Candice Dedini!

Snappi 3 pack... Anne Poitevin Sweden!

Winners will be emailed to claim their prizes within 48 hours. Winners have 48 hours to respond or that prize will be redrawn.

September Mom's Night In

Welcome to our fifth month for Moon Mom's Night In! We took a month off in August and we are now back and better than ever. This month we have a couple prizes from you from some old Kissed by the Moon favorites! This month we have been focusing on the new store front. We are growing and with that comes some pain, but no pain no gain right?

For me September is about birthday's, from the last week of August through the last week of September, our family has *6* birthdays. In fact, Sept 14-16 is ALL birthday here! And that's just family! In addition to that, one of my favorite Moonies is due next week and I can't wait to see her new little squish.

So with all of that, let's focus this month's party on the change of season, the change of weather, and all sorts of celebration!

This month's prizes are from Thirsties, Crow Mountain Crafts, and Snappi. The party will be on September 25th at 6:30pm PST/9:30pm EST. Please RSVP and fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered to win! Stay tuned for reviews of the Thirsties products!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

July Mom's Night In Winners List

Party here

Cake Lingerie Set #1... Carrie Sofko!

Cake Lingerie Set #2... Lisa Hollis Nuckols!

Meg & Aly Infinite Designs Wipes Set... Ashley Santillanes!

Snappi 3 pack... Krys Noble!

Winners will be emailed to claim their prizes within 48 hours. Winners have 48 hours to respond or that prize will be redrawn.

Cake Lingerie Review

Cake Lingerie has been so amazing to again send me a set to review... and this time they are giving you the chance to win one of TWO sets! For a chance to win please see this blog post about Mom's Night In.

I received this set to review in June, and let me say, it was PERFECT timing. I was about to go on the first plane trip with my (then) 13 month old. Um... nightmare! Going on a plane trip to Texas isn't a walk in the park even without a one year old... but with a one year old, I was slightly terrified. I did lots of research, figured out a game plan, and picked out an outfit. You can bet that leading up my arsenal was this set from Cake Lingerie.

Rewind... when I opened the box I was amazed. First of all, it arrives and looks like a present. And then I opened it. It was soft, it was smooth, it was pretty, it looked SO comfortable. Just like last time, I was nervous to "de-NIP" something so nice. I'm a mom! I'm used to getting nice stuff *cough cough* diapers *cough cough* for my daughter, not myself. This... this was a treat. A big fat delicious slice of chocolate cake treat. And I don't remember the last time I had a slice of cake. 

So back to the plane trip... I got dressed at ugh 5am. Got the baby ready. Went to Los Angeles International Airport... yeah... LAX. One of the busiest airports in the world. Cah-ray-zee. Per usual. But due to my Ergo and my set from Cake Lingerie... I. Was. So. Comfortable. I was able to get Jilly back to sleep and nursing happily all while trudging through that airport. The one flaw was the rise of the briefs. I am one of those lucky moms who got back to a smaller size post pregnancy. I have breastfeeding to thank for that... and fantastic nursing bras to make it easier and comfortable. Back to the briefs, thanks to my shrinkage I can wear nice jeans. Jeans that are typically low rise and these briefs are more high rise. Not such a big deal with sweats around the house or at night, just not a match for a lot of jeans.

That said, I did wear the set again for the return trip, because you really can't beat that comfort. And the return trip... just as easy, just as comfortable! Even the plane trip was nice and comfy. The baby slept, I read, and neither of us were poked or prodded or bothered by any uncomfortable piece of clothing.

I only wish I had this set when I was a new mom. I would have been SO MUCH more comfortable living and sleeping in the same clothes for 24 (ok, ok 36) hours straight if the foundation of those clothes were this set. New moms have so much stress and are already pretty uncomfortable from various things. This set also would have been perfect for pregnancy. All that swelling, changing, ugh... I can't wait to go back. With this set, the aches and pains of pregnancy will be much easier.

(Shout out to Twinkie Tush diapers, cute cloth diapers that I love!)

Now lets get into some details..

"The Luxury Seamless Maternity/ Nursing Brief is silky soft & built for comfort. This matching mid-waisted brief is made from a super fine knit for an ultra comfortable feel. So soft, you won't even know they're on!"

• Easy Sizing - S, M, L, XL - See sizing grid
• Fashionable colours and several designer elements
• Innovative low T-back for medium levels of support
• Fabric moulded cups for smooth seamless appeal
• Side Sling for discreet feeding & shape
• No itchy garment tags
• Adjustable hooks & eyes for fitting preference
• Great elastic stretch & memory
• Additional side panel support ribbing
• Mid-waisted matching briefs available
• Made with unique, silky-soft yarn for ultra comfort
• 90% Polyester 10% Elastane (excl of trims)
• Cool machine wash

"The Luxury Seamless Maternity/ Nursing Bra is silky soft & built for comfort. Its carefully positioned double-layered side sling, strength panels and T-back structure are designed to maximise lift and support. The Luxurious Seamless Maternity/ Nursing Bra is ideal during the initial stages of pregnancy, immediately post childbirth and as a sleep-bra, when your breasts are rapidly changing in size & shape. This bra will grow to accommodate your changing bust without restriction."

My Likes:

Comfortable... this felt like satin and silk against my skin. It didn't ride up, it didn't get stuck, it was a pure delight to wear.

Quality... this set took everything I threw at it from the washer to the dryer to baby teeth and stood the test. It still looks brand new!

Ease of Use... The snaps were so easy to do and undo, they never came undone on accident. That has happened in the past and it caused some unfortunate almost embarrassments.

My Not So Likes:

Rise... the rise of the briefs were pretty high and I would have probably preferred to size down. They showed over my jeans unless I scrunched them down and due to the nature of the fabric they didn't like to stay scrunched.

Overall... this set is a MUST for new moms! Try here for a chance to win a set... and here to buy one of your own!

July Moon Mom's Night In

This is our FOURTH month for Moon Mom's Night In! Every month I feel like I get to know you ladies more and more. It is fantastic having such a tight knit community of mamas. We hope to see all our Moonie Moms here with us to kick off another night of fun and chat. This month's prizes are from Cake Lingerie, Meg&Aly Infinite Designs, and Snappi! The party will be taking place on the event page here on July 25th at 5pm PST/8pm EST. Please RSVP and fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered to win!

Please stay tuned in tomorrow for a review on the Cake Lingerie sets being given away this month!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Teething Terrors NO MORE!

So. Let's talk teething. We all have kids... and kids all get teeth. Teething can be frustrating and exhausting for both parents and children. Symptoms range from nothing (lucky LUCKY moms!) to no sleep, barely eating, crying, rashes, fevers, etc. Whether we are stay at home moms, work out of home moms, or anything in between or else, we all hate to see our kids in pain. Our instinct is to fix it any way we can. Luckily for our kids, there are plenty of products that can help!

Teething may begin as early as 3 months (though will all the drooling sometimes it feels like even earlier!). Usually mamas see the first tooth start pushing through baby's gums around 4 and 7 months old. From then on out all is fair game. Some kids slowly gain tooth by tooth, others get them in clusters. First up are usually the bottom front two, usually followed by the two front top teeth. That's where we are at now, and I think we are getting all four lateral incisors are once. Eek! So... here are what I use to help and keep this toothy grin on Jilly's face.

Safety Disclaimer ~ please don't leave a child unattended with their necklace, it may present a choking hazard.

My first line of defense is healing baltic amber. We have a Healing Hazel Polished Baby Amber 12". These come in colors like cognac, multi colored, and honey. Kissed by the Moon purchases our amber from a reliable, trustworthy source to ensure the best for you and your baby!

Baltic amber has been proven to reduce teething pain, calm a baby without resorting to drugs, have anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties, have immune boosting properties, and is recognized by allopathic medicine as a natural analgesic. They are attractive and adorable for children and are ideal for natural pain relief. 

Jilly wears this ALL the time. Literally all the time. Bath time, bed time, all the time. Its loose enough that its not choking her, but not so loose that it catches on toys or anything. For the most part she ignores it, but occasionally she puts it in her mouth. Each bead has a knot in between so if for some reason the necklace breaks, only one bead come off, limiting a choking hazard. And on the choking subject, the beads are small enough to swallow if the necklace were to break!

But how does it work? Wearing baltic amber can help with teething pain along with other ailments. The warmth from the skin releases the active ingredient in the Baltic amber, succinic acid. Recent scientific research has proved that succinic acid has a very positive influence on the human body. It improves immunity and the balance of acids when absorbed into the bloodstream, it stimulates the thyroid glands. Ambers anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties are recognized by allopathic medicine as a natural analgesic, which will help to relieve pain without resorting to drugs. The skins warmth releases healing oils from the amber, a resin, which is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Other ailments? Adults can try Healing Hazel Adult Hazel Amber Necklaces, Bracelets, and Anklets. Baltic amber is not just for babies!

Next up are plenty of Jellystone teethers! In these pictures, Jilly is rocking the Jellystone Handbag Silicone Teether in purple. We also have a couple of the Jellystone™ Smart Phones but I try and keep one in each car for "emergencies". This cute little purse has a handle so a diva on the crawl can keep her teether handy.

Moms don't have to be left out of the fashion statement with items like the Jellystone Troika Necklace, Jellystone Heart Pendant, Jellystone Fiesta Bangle, and Jellystone Owl Pendant. Other Jellystone products can be found here.

Jellystone Designs products are free from BPA, Phthalates and PVC with a soft-feel and texture. These practical products are suitable for modern women with (or without) children. The necklace range includes BPA-free large, chunky pendants and necklaces secured with practical break-away clasps. Our custom-designed clasps separate easily when tugged or snagged. These silicone jewelery pieces not only look great, but also are a non-toxic alternative to regular costume jewelery.

Jilly loves chomping all over this flexible purse teether and I love how easy it is to clean. Just a little soap and warm water, rubbed around like I am washing my hands and ta da! Clean! And don't let your little gentlemen feel left out, Jellystone Skateboard Teether is ready to rock with him! Not a skater boy? Satisfy his sweet tooth with a Jellystone Chocolate Bar.

My final, emergency, line of defense is Punkin Butt Teething Oil. This stuff is amazing. All you have to do is dab a little on your finger and rub it on the gum line. Make sure to use clean hands or something like a q-tip. Don't like medicine? Me either. And I still love this product. With easily identifiable ingredients consisting of essential oils, this is a no brainer.

Ingredients: Vitis vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Helianthus annuus (Organic Sunflower) Oil, Sesamum indicum (Organic Sesame) Oil and/or Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Essential oil blend (chamomile, clove, peppermint), Citrus grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract.

Before I ever let this near Jilly, I tried it on myself with a little gum pain. The taste and scent are pleasant and it did have an easy numbing effect. After that, I waited for her next teething "emergency" and decided to try it out. Want to know what happened? A nap. Mommy lifesaver!!!

Which of these have you tried? Which do you want to try?

How to Lanolize Wool

So you took the plunge, or you're about to, but wait. You don't know how to treat your wool. I mean, its cute and all, but once I get it... what do I do with it?

Here is your "How to" on lanolizing your wool!

So the first thing you will need to do is gather your mad scientist supplies!

1. Bottle (This is optional, you can stir, I prefer shaken not stirred)
2. Baby soap. I use CJ's Carcass Cleaner.
3. Solid lanolin. Yes, you can use spray lanolin or wool wash with lanolin incorporated, but generally that is not enough lanolin to full lanolize your wool. Pictured is Crow Mountain Crafts Solid Lanolin.
4. Wool wash (bar or liquid). Pictured is CJ's Wool Wash and Crow Mountain Crafts Wool Wash Bar.
5. Large bowl. You can also use your sink but since I don't like monopolizing my sink with wool, I use a bowl.
6. Tea kettle (optional). I use this to get my water hot enough to emulsify the lanolin. You can also boil water in a pot or microwave.
7. Cup to mix lanolin in. I use a measuring cup.
8. Spoon and knife. To mix lanolin and to weigh wool down in water if needed.
9. Wool! You have multiple options. Bumby pre-orders just opened and sustainablebabyish|sloomb has instock and pre-orders available.

The first thing you are going to do is wet your wool. Be sure to give it a nice squish (squeeze) to get it nice and wet. It is best to wash/lanolize your wool inside out so the wet zone can get the best of your mix!

Next, you are going to take your wool wash bar (or liquid wool wash if that is your choice) and gently rub the wool down. You don't need to rub with the bar too much, just get a nice layer of wash onto your wool. Once you have a nice layer of wash, work it in gently with your fingers.

To finish prepping your wool for lanolization, place it back in your bowl of water to sit until your ready for it! This helps the wool adjust to the water temperature and be ready for lanolin.

Now on to lanolizing! I have a heavy hand in lanolizing because I use my wool often. For overnight/bullet proof use you are going to want to be heavier with your lanolin. This was for 2 pieces, one of which has been lanolized before. In general, you need to lanolize twice to get full strength. I took a heaping teaspoon of my Crow Mountain Crafts Solid Lanolin.

I put the teaspoon of lanolin my measuring cup and filled it halfway with water (about 1 1/2 cup) I boiled in my tea kettle. I added 2 squirts of CJ's Carcass Cleaner to help the lanolin emulsify.

Because I shake my lanolin mix, I only stir it in the water until it turns completely liquid. Still greasy and not emulsified, but no lumps!

Next I pour my mix in my bottle. I put some extra (1/2 a cup) of my leftover boiled water in the measuring cup to get all the lanolin out of the cup and pour that in as well. Then I shake shake shake shake. (Since your water is very hot, it makes the glass hot, so I wrap a kitchen towel around the bottle.) You'll know when to stop shaking because the lanolin will be completely emulsified. It will look like whole milk, so no "floaties" (lanolin grease spots) and will be nice and smooth.
Alternative: If you plan on stirring your lanolin, you will skip the bottle and pour into a bowl and stir until you get the desired consistency. 

I poured the lanolin mix back into the measuring cup so you can get a view on how your lanolin mix should look. The white "foam" on the top is just from shaking and has no effect on the mix. You'll want to take your wool out of your bowl and gently squeeze excess water out

Now your mix is still pretty hot and in order to avoid felting you will want to lower the temperature of the water to lukewarm, you don't want to shock your wool with hot water. To avoid this, I have found that the best way to gradually cool your lanolin mix down is to pop in a couple ice cubes! I put 2 in my mix and slowly stir until they have dissolved. The white ring in the pictures is just from flash.

Now my mix is cooled down enough to add warm water. You'll want it just warm enough that you can feel it on your wrist. Add it slowly and stir while you add it. If added too hot/cold or too fast, your lanolin might get a little shocked (eek!) and separate a little bit.

This is what my lanolin mix with water looks like. It lightens up some but not much.

I only add enough water to fully cover my wool.

And alas! Its finally time to give your wool a nice lano bath! Put it in and give it a nice squish and gentle swish to get the lanolin mix all up in your wool's business!

Now is the really hard part. You have to wait. And wait. And wait. When first lanolizing my wool, I do a full 24 hour soak. If its been lanolized before I only soak overnight. This gives the wool lots of time to soak in that milky goodness. If your wool has been lanolized repeatedly or you aren't planning on using it for night time, you may only need to soak for 30 minutes to couple hours.

24 hours later

Your wool is ready to drain! Pour your lano mix out and gently squeeze the excess out of your wool. Try to avoid twisting as that can felt wool. If you ended up with "floaties", don't worry, you can use your finger to spread them on your wool and lanolin dries clear. That area will just have a little extra protection.

To help my wool dry faster I lay it on a towel to roll out excess water.

Gently roll and squeeze out the excess water from your wool.

And finally you can hang your wool to dry! If you want to dry it faster, you can point a fan at it. It is also suggested to turn your wool over to allow each side to get enough air time to dry.

Easy Peasy right? Well it may seem complicated, but once you do it the first few times it becomes second nature!

June Moon Mom's Night In Winner's List!

Party time!

Tootiewilly soaker winner... Sarah Horst!

Kissed by the Moon gift certificate winner... Vana Goddard!

Snappi Baby winner... Rachel Garner!

Winners will be emailed to claim their prizes within 48 hours. Winners have 48 hours to respond or that prize will be redrawn.

Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.0 Review

by Sarah Jones

When I was offered a diaper to try made only miles from where I grew up, I jumped at it. The Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.0 arrived in the mail and I couldn't wait to put it on…my son of course! The instructions on the packaging of the diaper said it should be washed several times before use. I washed it once. I couldn't wait to use it. I found it to be very absorbent even after that one wash. No leaks.

This is a one size (8-35lbs), made in the USA, All-in-one diaper. This diaper has an inside made of 100% organic cotton, and an outer made of PUL. The organic cotton makes for a very trim diaper. The entire diaper inside is lined with the organic cotton. This helps the diaper lie closer to the skin and keeps red marks away.

This diaper is very similar to the bumGenius old elemental styling. The inside of this diaper is not attached though, and makes for a much faster drying. It dried in one cycle. I loved that I could take this right out of the dryer and use it right away again. I HATE removing some diapers and then having to turn the dryer back on.

The back of the diaper features very tight elastic. I was slightly nervous about this at first… it is REALLY tight. I was pleasantly surprised when I removed the diaper a couple hours later that it did not leave any marks on my son’s back. The Smart One 3.0 offers a very generous rise. This is a perfect diaper for a taller child. Which convinces me that this really will be a one size diaper, a diaper I can truly use from birth to potty training.

Pros-

Price. I love that this is a one size, all in one, and organic. All for 23 dollars? Amazing.

Drying time. One cycle in the dryer!

Fit. Very nice trim fit, even on a chunky baby.

Absorbency. Worked well for us even at naps.

Cons-

No hook and loop option. I have a very wiggly 15 month old. I much prefer hook and loop right now.

Over all I would rate this diaper at 4 out of 5.

Kissed by the Moon Asks.... Tell us what you think! Is this a diaper you would be interested in us carrying? (please leave a comment with your response!)

Bummis new Potty Pants (training pants) Review

by: Tami Nelson

When I heard that Bummis was coming out with a new trainer, I was super excited to try these out! My son is almost out of cloth, but we are still potty training, so this would be perfect for us. I wanted to check out the sizing, as a lot of training pants are too small for my almost 40 lb. boy. Here are some of the features that Bummis advertises with the trainers:

Special features of the Potty Pant:

Very trim – can easily be worn under clothing. No fluffy bums here!

Looks like underwear – let your little one feel like a big kid! Easy on, easy off.

Accidents? No problem. Two hidden absorbent layers where it counts. One layer of long loop cotton terry and one layer of microfiber. Training takes practice!

Soft lining made of natural cotton-hemp fabric for maximum comfort and to allow for that helpful sensation of wetness.

Outer layer of waterproof fabric prevents leaks.

Stretchy lightweight side panels make for a trimmer fit, ultimate comfort and greater adjustability. Will accommodate wee ones of all sizes – from skinny minis to chunky monkeys!

Different sizes allow for a perfect fit. Most kids will potty train within a few months and will probably wear the same size throughout the process.

The Potty Pant is absorbent and was designed to prevent leaks when accidents happen. It was not designed to be as absorbent as a diaper, so may not be appropriate at nap time or bed time for some big-kids-in-training.

The potty pant is made in a Bummis factory in Montreal, Canada, so we know that the products are made fairly and are good quality. The fabric and parts are also sourced in North America, and are guaranteed to be free of BPA, lead, and phthalates.

And here is the sizing chart:

Size

Small

18-25 lbs / 8-11 kg

Medium

25-30 lbs / 11-14 kg

Large

30-35 lbs / 14-16 kg

X-Large

35 lbs and up / 16 kg and up

So my own thoughts about these…I am in love! The sizing seems true. We used the x-large and it fits well for us. Not loose or saggy at all, but not tight to where we have pain or marks- it fits similarly to underwear. It is stretchy so I am guessing that we could go a few more pounds with the same size (which is important because there isn’t a larger size!) The thing that’s good about the different sizing is that things fit well without having a huge bunching issue. That’s the downside with trainers that are one size. The Bummis Potty Pants are very trim and they DO fit like underwear. No poofy butt and very similar to the undies we use. The positive with this is that he feels like a big boy and calls these “underwear”. If he were to poop, it’s stretchy enough on the sides so that we could easily get these off of him without the grossness factor, (for trainers that snap on the side to alleviate the poop issue I recommend the Flip trainers, but more for medium/larger babies because they are one size), so I am not worried about this.

The thickness is enough that if he does pee, it won’t leak or go through his trainers. I like that it’s not totally waterproof like a diaper would be, because as we potty train, I want him to feel when he is wet, but I don’t want him to soak through his clothing. The Bummis Potty Pants are the perfect trainers for this.

The last reason I love these, other than functionality and design, is that these are made in Canada. The materials are sourced in North America and totally free of BPA and other harmful materials. I know that the workers at the factory are getting treated well and get fair wages, which is important to me.

I had a hard time finding any negatives with these. The only one I have is that currently there are only two color options- White and Pistachio dot, which is a bright green with pink dots. A Denim Dot will be released soon, which is a boyish dark blue dot version, but even so, if you like prints and want a gender- specific option, you will have only one color. If you don’t mind mixing with white or don’t really care, it’s not a big deal, but this was the only drawback I could find for these.

There are many trainers out there to choose from, but only a handful that I can say I truly love and these are one of them! Bummis Potty Training Pants are available from Kissed by the Moon

www.kissedbythemoon.com

for $15.95.