Citrus Lane {review}

I was super curious when I was browsing the Web and came across a company called Citrus Lane. Citrus Lane is a subscription company that puts together boxes of the best baby products on the market filled with items for newborn babies to 18 month olds! Here is what Citrus Lane has to say about their boxes "We think of our monthly boxes as care packages for parents! With a subscription to Citrus Lane, you'll receive a monthly box filled with 4-5 healthy and delightful baby products recommended and reviewed by real moms. The goodies inside will be tailored to the age of your child. We're dedicated to helping parents discover the best baby products on the market. Sometimes it's an undiscovered gem that catches our eye. Other times, it's a tried-and-true parent favorite. Either way, we're looking for that certain something - a wow-factor that makes us say, "Ah-ha! Now this is something every parent should know about!"
You can read some info about how they choose the products that go into their boxes HERE!
Each box contains items with a retail value between $40.00-$50.00 and is specifically created with your child's age in mind! Each box costs $25.00 and shipping is free!
I received a sample box from Citrus Lane for my review. This is what I received:

The box I received was created for a young child aged around one year old. A young child that is just learning to self-feed.
The items in the box are all top quality, and non-toxic and organic baby food! LOVE that!
These boxes would make a perfect baby shower gift for an expectant mother! The fact that the items within the boxes RV is from $40-$50 and you are only paying $25.00 per box (one box is received each month) is a huge savings in itself!
You can join Citrus Lane to receive these great boxes for only $25.00 a month. If you join for a 12 month time period you pay for only 10 months (a $50.00 savings)! But wait, if you join now through 14 November and use the code "CITRUSHALF" you will get your first box half price ($12.50)!
So what are you waiting for? Go check out Citrus Lane now!

Disclaimer: I received the items above free for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my honest opinion and may differ from yours!

~Mama of the Littles~

Welcome to the Military Monday Blog Hop!

We invite all of you, military or not, to join in this great blog hop. Would you like to be connected to other blogs? Would you like to increase your number of blog followers via Google Friend Connect? Then this hop is for you. No, you don't have to be affiliated with the Military, you just have to have a blog!  Please don't leave links to your Facebook, Twitter, or other blog hops. Those links will be deleted.

The guidelines are quite simple here!

• Grab the Military Monday Blog Hop button and post it as a new blog post or on your blog's sidebar!  

<a href="http://semperwifey.blogspot.com/" ><img src="http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m531/semperwifey/MilitaryMondayButton1.jpg" ></a>

• Follow the hosts publicly via Google Friend Connect {just click the buttons below!}.  Be sure to leave a comment on this post that you stopped by from the Military Monday Blog Hop in order for us to follow you back. The hosts will follow you back, as long as you leave a comment on this post with your blog address. Just give us a few days to catch up with everyone!
  

Follow as many of the linked blogs as you'd like!  But remember...the more you follow, the more followers you will get in return! 

*Please note, this linky will close on Monday at 11:59 pm (EST). But don't worry...we'll be back next week!

Have a great week!

~Mama of the Littles and Semper Wifey

Homeward Bound and announcements about the Newborns In Cloth event!

I've had a really nice time here in Oregon. Tomorrow (very early) my boys and I will make the trip back east!
When I get home I'll be getting settled in and also gearing up for the "Newborns and Cloth" event that will be co-hosted by Rebecca over at One More Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest!
She is working on making us an event button, and so you know what that means... early extra entries are just around the corner!
The linky for the Monday Military Blog Hop did not get posted this week (as you may have noticed) but will be up and running for ya next Monday!
I can't wait to get home and check what came in the mail! I know that the Learning tower that I won from A Year With Mom And Dad is there and also a few Fuzzi Bunz diapers that were from the rebate offer they just had! :) Have any of you received anything exciting in the mail lately? Post a comment and let me know what you got. If you could choose what came to you in the mail tomorrow, what would it be?? Let me know!
That's all for now!
~Mama of the Littles~

Baby Bottoms Diversity Doll Review and $25.00 GC GIVEAWAY to Wee Willie Winks! {7 Nov}

Have you ever heard of a "Diversity Doll?" Neither had I, until I was contacted by Wee Willie Winks and asked to review one! Here is some information about the Baby Bottoms diversity doll taken from the Wee Willie Winks Website:

Diversity Dolls Information
Baby Bottoms Dolls are available in four races: African American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic. They are anatomically correct and also have a belly button. The Baby (without Potty) NOW only comes in the following race/sex combos: African American Boy, Asian Girl, Caucasian Girl, and Hispanic Boy. The Caucasian Boys that are listed are only while supplies last.


Dolls come dressed in removable clothing, including a cloth diaper. Toddler dolls come with their own Baby Bjorn-style potty and make great friends during potty learning!

Diversity Dolls Construction
Materials: Baby Bottoms dolls are made with all new materials and polyester stuffing.

Manufacturing: Diversity Dolls are made in China.

Sizing & Clothing: Baby Bottoms Babies are 12.5” tall and come with a front-closing shirt and cap (boys) or bonnet (girls). Baby Bottoms Toddlers are 14” tall, have hair and come with a long sleeved t-shirt and a Baby Bjorn-style potty. All dolls come with a cloth diaper. Cloth diapers secure with Velcro tabs at the hips.

I was sent a Baby Bottoms Toddler Caucasian Male doll for review! This is what I received:
*please excuse the photo quality! My mom does not have any photo editing software on her computer*

This doll is great. It is a perfect teaching tool to use for potty training your littles! My eldest son is *almost* completely potty trained! He wears underwear 100% of the time has little to no accidents, stays dry all night long, BUT refuses to poo on the potty!
My 22 month old son is very interested in the potty and has watched his big brother pee on the potty several times. My 22 mo has tried a few times to go on the potty, but with no success *yet*

I was at my sister's house in Oregon and had the doll mailed to her. She (as you all know) just had a little boy 30 September, and also has a 2 yo son as well! So the boys really got a kick out of playing with the doll!

 (Above is a picture of Grandma "Grammy" demonstrating to my nephew how the doll goes on the potty!

 

Yes, these dolls are anatomically correct! Which does not bother me at all! I've taught my boys' the names of all their body parts. They know what eyes are, feet, hands, belly, and yes, penis and butt too! We don't use silly nicknames for their private parts, but call it like it is!

The doll even has a small brown spot on it's 'butt'

You can purchase this doll at Wee Willie Winks for $34.95! But wait, order now through 15 Nov and use the code "LITTLES" to receive 15% off the purchase of your doll. They also have the baby doll for $21.50! These would make perfect Christmas presents for your little one, and I think they are awesome to have if you are potty training!

Wee Willie Winks has generously offered one LWML follower a $25.00 GC to be used on anything on their Website!

To enter, simply use the rafflecopter form below, you may have to click on "read more" to see the rafflecopter entry form!

Good Luck and have fun!
~Mama of the Littles~

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in exchange for this review, thanks to Wee Willie Winks! No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours.

Monkey Foot Designs wet bag review and $20.00 GC #GIVEAWAY to Bouncing Babies {4 November}

Have you heard of Bouncing Babies? Megan and Stacey are the co-owners of Bouncing Babies, more information about Megan and Stacey can be found here! Bouncing Babies officially launched their re-opening September 1, 2011. At Bouncing Babies you can find numerous brands of cloth diapers, detergent, cloth diapering accessories and more! You can read more about Monkey Foot Designs Wet bags HERE!
Bouncing Babies generously sent me a Monkey Foot Designs wet bag. I chose the Brown Owltude in size large! This is what I received:

Isn't the print adorable? I LOVE it!
The large Monkey Foot Designs wet bags measure 14" x 16" and are perfect for dirty children's clothes/bibs/burp cloths and for longer trips out of the house when you'll need 6-8 cloth diapers.
Let me tell you a bit about what I think of this wet bag!
First of all, it is VERY well made! The fabric is very good quality, you can tell this just by touching it. It's not flimsy and weak, but strong and sturdy! I love the fact that it has a very durable strap that snaps closed.

This is perfect for hanging on your door knob or attaching to your stroller!
This diaper bag is perfect. The size is just right, the fabric is awesome, the zipper and Pro Care lining is very good quality, (not to mention the lining is also non-toxic, non allergenic, anti-microbial, has superior waterproof ability, has high duty barrier protection, fire retardant, and machine washable and dry able) oh, and did I mention that the prints are stinkin' cute?
You can purchase this wet bag directly from Bouncing Babies for $25.00!
Bouncing Babies has generously offered one LWML follower a chance to win a $20.00 GC to their shop! But wait, there is more! The first 10 people to place an order over $50.00 at Bouncing Babies and use the code "LITTLES" will receive this Monkey Foot Designs Snack bag FREE (don't forget you also get 10 extra entries into this giveaway if you make a purchase at Bouncing Babies during the dates of this giveaway)!!

To enter, simply use the rafflecopter form below, you may have to click on "read more" to see the rafflecopter entry form!

Good Luck and have fun!
~Mama of the Littles~

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in exchange for this review, thanks to Bouncing Babies! No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours.

Babykicks giveaway at In The Know Mom!

Today is the last day to head over to In The Know Mom and enter to win a Babykicks Clothdiaper!
Hurry HERE and get your entries in!

~Mama of the Littles~

Palm Tree Diaper Cover winner!!

Congrats to Lara J who is the winner of the Palm Tree diaper cover.
You have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize!
A huge thank you to Cloth Diaper Outlet for sponsoring and of course, all of you who entered!

I will be flying back home to Maryland next week!
Then I will be working on getting settled in and getting up the "Newborns and Cloth" event up and running!

Can you believe there are no giveaways going on right now on the blog?
Part of it is due to my trip, I have been a busy girl!
I am planning to post a review and giveaway later this week. The review if of a Monkey Foot Designs wet bag sponsored by Bouncing Babies. The giveaway will be for a $20.00 GC to be used at Bouncing Babies website!

I have a few other giveaways that I need to get posted, so stick around!
~Mama of the Littles~

RedCharlotte Winner (redraw) and "Newborns and Cloth" event news!!

The winner for the RedCharlotte stuff sack or sucking pads(up to $32.95 value) is Amanda A.
Congrats! You have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize!

Thanks to RedCharlotte for sponsoring the event and for all of you that entered!

Exciting news!! The "Newborns in Cloth" event that will be taking place sometime during the first week of November is going to be awesome! I am amazed at how many sponsors have decided to support this event and I have MANY fluffy items for review and GIVEAWAY! Not only has the number of fluffy prizes increased, but I will be teaming up with Rebecca over at One More Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest for some added fluffy fun! This in an event you won't want to miss out on!
Be sure to check back here the beginning of November for more details, or better yet, you can subscribe to my blog via e-mail and get the latest and greatest news right in your inbox the minute they go live!!

Any guesses as to what kind/type/brand of diapers will be up for grabs? Comment here and let me know what you'd like to see!
~Mama of the Littles~

Welcome to the Military Monday Blog Hop!

We invite all of you, military or not, to join in this great blog hop. Would you like to be connected to other blogs? Would you like to increase your number of blog followers via Google Friend Connect? Then this hop is for you. No, you don't have to be affiliated with the Military, you just have to have a blog!  Please don't leave links to your Facebook, Twitter, or other blog hops. Those links will be deleted.

The guidelines are quite simple here!

• Grab the Military Monday Blog Hop button and post it as a new blog post or on your blog's sidebar!  

<a href="http://semperwifey.blogspot.com/" ><img src="http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m531/semperwifey/MilitaryMondayButton1.jpg" ></a>

• Follow the hosts publicly via Google Friend Connect {just click the buttons below!}.  Be sure to leave a comment on this post that you stopped by from the Military Monday Blog Hop in order for us to follow you back. The hosts will follow you back, as long as you leave a comment on this post with your blog address. Just give us a few days to catch up with everyone!
  
  

• Follow as many of the linked blogs as you'd like!  But remember...the more you follow, the more followers you will get in return! 

*Please note, this linky will close on Monday at 11:59 pm (EST). But don't worry...we'll be back next week!

Have a great week!

~Mama of the Littles and Semper Wifey

A bunch of Winners!!

I've been busy here in Oregon visiting my sister and her family, to include the newest member, baby Ezra!
I have some winners to announce!
The lucky winner of the RedCharlotte Stuff Sack or sucking pads is Julie K.
The lucky winner of the item from Snugs Boutique (up to $15.00 mama cloth or cloth diaper) is Karla S.
The last winner for the day today is the winner of the Kiwi Pie fitted cloth diaper from The Green Nursery!
The winner is: Debbi M.
You all have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim your prizes!
A huge thank you to all of our awesome sponsors and to all of you who entered!
Congrats!
~Mama of the Littles~

Naturepedic winner

Congrats to Melissa H. You are the winner (2nd time re-draw) of the Naturepedic organic fitted crib pad.
You have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize before another winner is drawn!
A huge thank you to Naturepedic for sponsoring this giveaway and a huge thank you to all of you who entered!
Don't forget, when I come back from Oregon, I will be having a "Newborns In Cloth" event that you won't want to miss out on!
I am enjoying my time with family, and watching the little cousins play together. I am loving snuggling with my nephew Ezra and am loving spending time helping my sister breast feed her son! I am however missing my hubby.... but other than that...LIFE IS GOOD!!
~Mama of the Littles~
ps will draw the other winners sometime tomorrow!

Welcome to the Military Monday Blog Hop!

We invite all of you, military or not, to join in this great blog hop. Would you like to be connected to other blogs? Would you like to increase your number of blog followers via Google Friend Connect? Then this hop is for you. No, you don't have to be affiliated with the Military, you just have to have a blog!  Please don't leave links to your Facebook, Twitter, or other blog hops. Those links will be deleted.

The guidelines are quite simple here!

• Grab the Military Monday Blog Hop button and post it as a new blog post or on your blog's sidebar!  

<a href="http://semperwifey.blogspot.com/" ><img src="http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m531/semperwifey/MilitaryMondayButton1.jpg" ></a>

• Follow the hosts publicly via Google Friend Connect {just click the buttons below!}.  Be sure to leave a comment on this post that you stopped by from the Military Monday Blog Hop in order for us to follow you back. The hosts will follow you back, as long as you leave a comment on this post with your blog address. Just give us a few days to catch up with everyone!
  
  
  
  

• Follow as many of the linked blogs as you'd like!  But remember...the more you follow, the more followers you will get in return! 

*Please note, this linky will close on Monday at 11:59 pm (EST). But don't worry...we'll be back next week!

Have a great week!

~Mama of the Littles and Semper Wifey

Guest Post from Tara over at Crunchier By The Day!

I have a great guest post written by Tara from Crunchier By The Day!
Enjoy....

Crunchier By The Day
Before I tell you about my journey into the world of cloth diapers, let me tell you a little about who I am. My name is Tara and I am a 28-year-old SAHM to Megan and wife to Michael. Can you guess which job comes first in this household? Megan is 14 months old and a very high-maintenance little girl. She has been from the beginning. It took us 2 months of struggle to establish a good breastfeeding routine. I originally planned to return to work when Megan was 6-months-old. However, she had severe acid reflux and Mike felt it was best for me to stay home and give her the attention and care she deserved instead of paying someone else to attempt it. I am forever grateful for that decision. That choice directly led to our use of cloth diapers. I became a very frugal shopper and avid coupon clipper, but my "Fuss" (as we have come to affectionately call her) was allergic to every diaper except Huggies. She also was/is very petite, only in the 25th percentile on height and weight. So, we had to buy the "Little Snugglers" instead of the "Snug and Dry" which come in a bigger (and, overall, SLIGHTLY cheaper) box. Up to this point, cloth diapering had only been a random conversation: "Maybe if we find a diaper service", "Is it really going to save us money?", etc. I was put in charge of researching; and research I did! I started pooling my internet friends and found a few who used CD's on a regular basis.
I finally bought my first cloth diaper on September 25, 2010. Megan was 5 months old. I was thrilled when I got my 2 Flip covers and 6 inserts! I threw them in the wash immediately. Since then, I haven't looked back! We have been slowly building our stash as we have a little extra money here and there. I was proud of being able to CD even part-time. After all, one cloth diaper was one less 'sposie we had to pay to throw away. I ordered some prefolds and started using those in my covers as well. I kept mainly using CD's at home because I was afraid of using them while out and about. I received my final "push" to being a full-time CD mom when Huggies changed their diapers and they quit being absorbent enough for my heavy wetter. Of course, the change also started to irritate Megan's Fussy Butt.
In the last few weeks, I have even been able to travel with my diapers! Granted, it was only a 3-hour trip each way but it was a major step for me. I have been able to gain confidence in my ability to fully commit to cloth diapering as well as showing others just how easy it can be! My mother-in-law has been very supportive from the beginning. She babysits twice a week and is even willing to change cloth diapers while Megan is with her. She did use "old-fashioned" cloth diapers on her children and continues to be surprised by the new designs available now...even if all the different options are a bit confusing. During the Fourth of July holiday, I was able to show off my fluff to my family and I explained how simple cloth diapering had become. My Great-Aunt who had used flats with her kids (with "plastic pants," as she said), thought the pocket diapers I had were amazing. She loved that they were "all in one." My 15-year-old cousin was impressed, and I think I may have converted her for future use! She even said they were "cool."
 I do have a few friends who don't understand why I cloth diaper. One was even a bit disgusted as I put a poopy diaper in my wet bag. Those are the people I will never convince to cloth. I love being able to show off Megan's fluff every chance I get and educate anyone who is curious about the new way to cloth diaper. I fully intend to start out with cloth diapers when we have our second child. Truthfully, the only reason I didn't with Megan was fear. I had no idea what I would be getting into, my only references were my mother and mother-in-law, and I couldn't imagine myself "putting poop in a bag and carrying it around." LOL. However, with all of the benefits of cloth diapers (including the fact that my 14.5-month-old daughter now knows the difference between "clean butt" and "dirty butt"), I decided to give it a shot. I am SO glad I did! I have been afforded many opportunities since starting cloth to educate others and even test out new products myself. I will NEVER go back to sposies!!

Winners... Bottom Bumpers Cloth diaper and Naturepedic Re-Draw, and we're in Oregon!!

Flying with two little ones was not as hard as I thought! The first flight was 4.5 hrs and the second (and last) was 1.5! I must say that having a BUNCH of snacks on hand was key! Oh, not to mention we had all three seats to ourselves on the first, long flight (what a blessing)!
I am going to be gathering up all the wonderful newborn diapers (some are still coming in) to review and try out on my sweet nephew Ezra who was born on 30 Sept at 8lbs 4 oz!
I can't wait to meet him!

You guys are going to have a chance to win some awesome fluff here in the next few weeks. I hope to have the reviews and giveaways posted by the first week of November, we shall see!

So the first winner for the Naturepedic organic fitted crib pad did not respond within 48 hrs to claim his/her prize, so the new winner is:
Caren F.
You have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize!
The winner of the Bottom Bumpers AIO diaper in Iceland is Linda H! Congrats, you have been e-mailed and also have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize!
A huge thank you to Naturepedic and Healthy Baby Boutique for sponsoring the review and thanks (again) to all you for entering!


~Mama of the Littles~

Out of town... please leave a message!

Tomorrow the boys and I will fly to Oregon!
I am anxious about the flight (we leave here at 4:45 am) but I know that I can do it!
I am ready... all packed (yes I am using clothdiapers for the trip), and I am ready to see that little nephew of mine, and try out some cute newborn #CLOTHDIAPERS on him!
When I come back there will be a great event called "Newborns in Cloth" that you will not want to miss out on! I will be reviewing and giving away several newborn diapers as well as gift certificates to cloth diaper stores and more!
The giveaways will go on as posted. It may take me a bit to draw winners, but it will get done!
So keep on entering!!

~Mama of the Littles~

Welcome to the Military Monday Blog Hop!

We invite all of you, military or not, to join in this great blog hop. Would you like to be connected to other blogs? Would you like to increase your number of blog followers via Google Friend Connect? Then this hop is for you. No, you don't have to be affiliated with the Military, you just have to have a blog!  Please don't leave links to your Facebook, Twitter, or other blog hops. Those links will be deleted.

The guidelines are quite simple here!

• Grab the Military Monday Blog Hop button and post it as a new blog post or on your blog's sidebar!  
  

<a href="http://semperwifey.blogspot.com/" ><img src="http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m531/semperwifey/MilitaryMondayButton1.jpg" ></a>

 

• Follow the hosts publicly via Google Friend Connect {just click the buttons below!}.  Be sure to leave a comment on this post that you stopped by from the Military Monday Blog Hop in order for us to follow you back. The hosts will follow you back, as long as you leave a comment on this post with your blog address. Just give us a few days to catch up with everyone!
  
  
  
  
  
  

Follow as many of the linked blogs as you'd like!  But remember...the more you follow, the more followers you will get in return! 

*Please note, this linky will close on Monday at 11:59 pm (EST). But don't worry...we'll be back next week!

Have a great week!

~Mama of the Littles and Semper Wifey

Naturepedic crib pad winner!

Congrats to Anneke who won the Naturepedic organic fitted crib pad!
You have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize or another winner will be chosen!
Thanks to Naturepedic for sponsoring the giveaway and a huge thank you to all of you that entered!

Don't forget all the awesome giveaways going on right now:
Bottom Bumpers AIO clothdiaper in Iceland (baby blue) (10/4)
Mama Cloth (or cloth diaper) up to $15.00 {Etsy} (10/7)
RedCharlotte {Etsy} Ergo sucking pads or stuff sack (10/7)
Kiwi Pie Fitted Cloth Diaper {The Green Nursery} (10/10)
Palm Tree OS Cloth Diaper Cover {Cloth Diaper Outlet} (10/15)

Palm Tree #CLOTHDIAPER cover review and GIVEAWAY!! {Cloth Diaper Outlet}

Recently I came accross Cloth Diaper Outlet! I was really surprised as to the variety of items they sell. Cloth Diaper Outlet sells cloth diapers (of course), laundry items, menstrual products, pregnancy items, organic mattresses and more! They also offer free shipping on orders over $35.00!
I was sent 3 knickernappies premium prefolds, a snappi and a one size palm tree diaper cover to review!
This is what I received:

Being that I have absolutly no experience with prefolds I found this review to be a bit challenging! I didn't know what to expect! I found a great video on YouTube that shows 5 different ways to use a prefold! You can watch the video here!
Here is a picture of the Palm Tree Diaper cover:

I have heard mama's rave about using prefold diapers! Many mama's love them for newborns because they have to be changed so frequently!
Here is a picture of one of the Knickernappies prefolds:

Here is my first attempt at putting the prefold on my 19 mo (don't laugh):

Then I got it right. I used the tuck flap option as shown on the Cloth Diaper Outlet website:

And it worked perfectly!
This is the prefold and diaper cover together:

This system works out really well. The Knickernappies prefolds are really absorbent and I did not have any problems with leaks!

I can see how this system would be great to use on newborns!

This option is a very affordable cloth diapering option for those on a budget (who isn't on a budget now a days)?? You can purchase the Knickernappies prefolds from Cloth Diaper Outlet for $3.45 (for the premium like what I received which fits a 15-30 lb baby). You can purchase the one size Palm Tree cover at Cloth Diaper Outlet for only $9.99!

I think I will get good use out of these prefolds and the Palm Tree cover. I do still love my pocket diapers though :)

Cloth Diaper Outlet has generously offered one LWML follower a chance to win a one size Palm Tree Cover in winner's choice of color and closure (snaps or hook and loop)!!

To enter, simply use the rafflecopter form below, you may have to click on "read more" to see the rafflecopter entry form!

Good Luck and have fun!
~Mama of the Littles~

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in exchange for this review, thanks to Cloth Diaper Outlet! No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours.