Sunday, September 18, 2011

New WAHM Diaper Review/Giveaway - Zippy Doo Diapers! Ends 10-2-11!


Congrats to What Mommy Wants! Please keep your eyes open for an email from me. You have 48 hrs to respond. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks everybody for entering. The good news is that I was just approved for a beta version of Rafflecopter, so giveaways will be simplified from now on.

I'm excited to introduce you to Zippy Doo Diapers! This is a new WAHM diaper created by a woman in my due date online group. She's allowed me the opportunity to review her one size fitted diaper & will also give one custom One Size Fitted diaper  to one of my lucky readers. The giveaway will end on Oct 2 at 12 Noon CST. This giveaway is open to all countries! Please enter for a chance to try out this cute & absorbent diaper- you won't regret it!

Warning - this review will be pic heavy! I don't think you can do an accurate diaper review without plenty of pictures.

About Zippy Doo Diapers:

Allow me to introduce Natalie Ramirez Weyermuller. She lives in CA & has used cloth diapers on her son ever since his birth. She says that the possibility of using disposables never really entered her mind. She decided to use cloth diapers soon after discovering she was pregnant with her son. She tried various types of diapers, but really liked fitted diapers the best. Natalie loves cute & pretty things, so having a diaper that's also fashionable really appealed to her. She started buying fitted diapers & realized that she could make them herself. Natalie has been sewing since she was a little girl. In fact, she started out her college career as a fashion design major. It was her major for 3 years until she decided that she didn't like the "cut throat nature of the field".

Over this Summer she was bit by the sewing bug, & decided to design diapers for her son. She wanted him to have cute diapers without spending tons of money. She never planned to sell them. She had a full time job as an elementary school librarian, but was lucky enough to start working part time. She posted pictures of her cute diapers on our due date group's page, & soon Moms were asking if she would make diapers for them! Everyone LOVED her one size fitted diapers, so she decided to start selling her Zippy Doo diapers. You can also visit Zippy Doo on Facebook.

Natalie knew she wanted a roomier diaper. She felt that since cotton shrinks so much it was important to have a diaper that would not get smaller and smaller over time. She also wanted a soaker that had more length too, so the absorbency could truly be customized. It took awhile to get the pattern just right.

There's a story behind the cute name & logo. Natalie's brother is an animator. He drew the logo for her. The inspiration behind it is her kitty, Zippy, who loves to sit behind the sewing machine while she sews. Putting the diaper on Zippy was her brother's idea. Zippy Doo Diapers is also a play on words. "It is easy and fast (zippy) to put on the diapers (to doo it)".

About The One Size Fitted Diaper:

The diapers are made out of the cutest prints you'll ever see! You can select from her prints or send in your own. Natalie uses the prints on the outside of the diaper, & on the inside facing baby's skin is a layer of super soft cotton velour. The snap in liners/soakers are made of bamboo fleece, but they also have velour facing baby's skin. The diaper has a fold down rise/front that snaps down for smaller babies, & adjustable snaps at both the waist & leg area. The snaps are color coordinated with the fabric print. Natalie calls her diaper a "fitted one size" & says she designed her diaper to fit a little bigger than most one size diapers, so it will seem a little bigger on smaller babies. It should fit babies up to about 35+ pounds. It comes with a little bonus - a diaper wipe made of velour & a coordinating print! It's not an all in one, so a diaper cover is needed.

Here is what I received in the mail:



And more detailed pics of the diaper:


On one of  it's smallest setting.

 Showing the two rows of color coordinated snaps.

Showing the soft inner velour.

 Showing the bamboo fleece liners that snap in.

Another view of how the liners snap in. Notice that the side that faces baby's skin is velour.


Here is my baby modelling her Zippy Doo diaper in the Mermaid print:


 I chose not to fold the front down, but I do have the snaps on one of the smallest settings.




My Experience With the Zippy Doo One Size Fitted Diaper:

From the moment I opened the package I was impressed. The diaper was tied up in a cute little color coordinated bow that I've saved for a little later on when my baby girl has enough hair to put it in. It also came with a small square that can be used as a diaper wipe or makeup remover. The diaper wipe is made of the same soft velour & a color coordinated print. Natalie included wash & care instructions as well.

I untied the pretty little package to get a closer look at the diaper & fell in love with the print! I selected the print from the Zippy Doo Facebook page, but it was even cuter in person. At the time I had no idea that it would have a velour lining, & boy was I impressed with that! One of the reasons I love my itty bitty d'lish dipe is because it's so super soft to the touch. Imagine that softness up against your baby's delicate skin!

Natalie informed me that it wasn't absolutely necessary to prewash her diaper, but I could if I wanted to, & it would increase the absorbency if I did. I was so eager to try it out that I didn't prewash it. Natalie also told me that she often goes without a diaper cover when she's at home with her baby. I also didn't use a diaper cover since we were at home experiencing Tropical Storm Lee at the time. My baby was in her Zippy Doo dipe for about 2 hours, & we didn't experience any leaks at all. At least half of that time she was sitting on my lap. I felt a tiny bit of dampness & knew it was time to change her.

I will confess to being a tiny bit confused by the two different color snapping system. It wasn't difficult to figure out, but I just didn't quite understand the purpose of the 2 different colors at first. I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. Natalie was kind enough to put together a photo page depicting the snapping system. It's actually fairly self explanatory - one color for the folding rise & the other for the full rise.

I've washed & tried the Zippy Doo One Size Fitted diaper two more times since that initial use. I haven't used a diaper cover either time. The absorbency has gone up with each wash, but it was definitely usable without washing it first. That's a first for me. I remember 13 years ago when I tried my very first Motherease One Size diaper & didn't know that I was supposed to prewash it first. That sucker leaked all over the place until I washed it several times. Not having to prewash was a definite treat.

These diapers are so adorable that you hate to cover them up! They don't have a layer of PUL, so for use while out & about you'll definitely want to use a diaper cover. However, you likely won't need one for at home use. If you're like me & check your baby every couple of hours even if they don't fuss to be changed, that shouldn't be a problem for you at all. The diaper is plenty absorbent enough to prevent accidents other than dampness. The snap in liner is made of bamboo fleece, so it's quite absorbent. In fact, it's actually 2 liners sewed together that snap into the diaper.

I was impressed with the fit! This diaper is very absorbent for being as trim fitting as it is. Many One Size diapers tend to be bulky. With other diapers I've tried I've experienced issues with bulk in between the legs & elsewhere. I didn't have that problem with Zippy Doo. In fact, it fit well under her clothes! With some other dipes I've had to go a size up in her clothes in order for them to fit over the diaper, but I don't have to do that with these.

Pros:

1. Cute!
2. Custom made in either a print that Natalie has in stock, or one that you send to her.
3. Super soft!
4. Very absorbent!
5. Affordable! If you purchase a diaper made of one of Natalie's prints it costs $23.00. If you send in your own prints it costs $20.00.
6. Fit! Many diapers are soooo bulky - especially between the legs. These diapers are nice & trim under clothes.

Cons:

1. I can really only think of one con, & it isn't much of one. I wish that the diaper was an AIO with a PUL layer in the middle. Zippy Doo Diapers are so cute that you really hate to cover them up! However, as stated earlier you can go without a cover at home.

The Giveaway:

Now for the part you've been waiting for! Natalie is giving one lucky reader one custom One Size Fitted Diaper in a print of their choice! The giveaway ends on Oct 2, at 12 Noon CST. This giveaway is open to all countries!

The first task is mandatory, with 6 extra entries, for the opportunity of 8 total entries.

Please play fair & enter with one email addy. You must respond with your username & email for each entry. However, in an effort to make this easier for both of us you can leave one comment telling me how many tasks you've completed & supplying any extra info (such as a link to your tweet or twitter id) in that comment. Thanks!

Mandatory Entry

1. Follow me with GFC & comment with your name & email. Previous followers count.

Bonus Entries:

2. Subscribe via email & respond with your name & email. Previous subscribers count, but let me know.

3. Vote for me on "We're On The Fence".

4. Follow me on Twitter (@heartnbutterfly). Respond with your Twitter ID, name & email addy.

5. Tweet about this giveaway, & respond with a link to your Tweet, name & email.

6. Follow @ZippyDoDiapers on Twitter.

7. Like Zippy Doo Diapers on Facebook. Sorry, but my links aren't working on here, so visit here http://www.facebook.com/ZippyDooDiapers#!/ZippyDooDiapers

8. Leave Natalie a comment letting her know what sort of prints you're most interested in seeing her offer in the future.

Reviews & Giveaways coming soon!






Friday, September 2, 2011

Fairy Tales do come true with "I See Me" personalized books!



Please don't forget to enter the Rockin' Green giveaway! It ends Sept 7. Click here to enter.

About a month ago I See Me was extremely generous & sent me a beautiful personalized book of my choice to review. Being the HUGE fairy lover that I am, & because I have a fairy theme in my baby's room, I naturally selected their book titled My Very Own Fairy Tale for my sweet little princess. Oddly enough, about a week after selecting the book I discovered that I won a Who Loves You? book from I See Me in Beautifully Bella Faith's Blogspot! Yes; I enter giveaways too. :o) Talk about fortunate! Now I can give you my unique opinion of two different books.

About I See Me

If you aren't familiar with I See Me books, let me begin by telling you that they've won several awards: Mom's Choice, Creative Child Magazine, HomeSchool.com and Family Choice. Personalized children's books are a wonderful way to tell a child how very special they are. They make wonderful gifts for any child. You simply select a book from their many categories, & ten supply I See Me with information about your child to make the story all about them. Typically that information is basic things like: name, date of birth, special people in the child's life, & a customized dedication.

Some of the titles available are:

My Very Own Name
My Very Own Fairy Tale
My Very Own Pirate Tale
My Very Own ABC's
The World According To Me
Who Loves me?
A Christmas Bear For Me
A Hanukkah Bear For Me

You can see & order their books by visiting the I See Me website or calling 1-877-744-3210. They even have virtual tours of each book! Don't forget to like them on Facebook

About My Very Own Fairy Tale

It's a hardcover book, that takes little girls to a magical garden where flower fairies & berry fairies crown her as their fairy princess. Each fairy brings one letter to spell out the child's name, while describing character traits that make the girl the perfect fairy princess! This would make a wonderful keepsake for a baby girl, or even a perfect birthday or Christmas present for an older child! I See Me suggests an age range of 0 - 12 years, but my 13 year old daughter fell in love with this book & wants one of her own! I don't think it's sibling rivalry. I think she likes the artwork, the personalization, & of course she loves fairies too! I'll likely order her one as a surprise Christmas or birthday present.

It's absolutely beautiful & colorful! There's a nice added touch of the child's date of birth, & a personalized dedication. You can choose one of their suggested dedications or make up one of your own. At the end of the book there is a Fairy Patch that functions like a fairy dictionary. It features 62 fairies with interesting facts about their flowers & berries.

This is a pic of the cover of "My Very Own Fairy Tale Book"

As you can see, the cover is colorful & cheery. Any little girl would be drawn to it. I couldn't wait to swoop Patricia up into my arms, & begin reading to her! The book had about 30 pages, & it was a nice long read. If she was older & wanting more I would've continued with the Fairy Patch, but the story was enough for her.

Here are pictures of the inside of the book.





And a pic of the Fairy Patch


I didn't have to worry about shipping, but if I'd ordered my books like other customers I would've had a choice between 4 different methods of delivery. This is a wonderful thing to know! If I'm ever in a hurry, & need a book for a special gift at the last second I can order via Air delivery & I'll receive it in about 3 business days after the date of order. Standard delivery takes about 2 weeks.
While I'm on the subject of delivery, let me just show you how well the books were packed!



About Who Loves You?

The following quote comes from the I See Me website. "WELCOME A NEW BABY WITH A SPECIAL MESSAGE WRAPPED IN LOVE. I See Me! Inc. Launches Its Latest Personalized Storybook, Who Loves Me?" I couldn't have worded it better myself! When I read through this one I got a little teary eyed.

This book welcomes new babies (or children up to 5) by introducing them to the people who love them most. Written in rhyme, with colorful illustrations, Who Loves Me? builds self-esteem while drawing children through age 5 into the storyline. The book names family members or friends who love the child, and encourages the child to reach to the sky when asked how much each one of them loves him or her. The book reassures the child they are loved very much by each, with unique and touching rhymes describing the depth of each individual's love. For example, my daughter's name is Patricia so the book begins "Who loves Patricia? Momma, Daddy, & Amanda love Patricia! How much? So much! More than the mountains, more than the streams, more than a little girl's happiest dreams."

The book is a short one, with a hard cover and 20 tear-free pages. Who Loves Me? is designed to be read over and over again.

Like all I See Me books, Who Loves Me? is personalized with the child's first and last name and includes a dedication to the child from the sender.

Here is a pic of the cover.



And pics of the inside




I can't speak highly enough about these books! I have absolutely nothing negative to say about them.