The Flats & Handwashing Challenge Starts In The Morning!

It's finally here! The Flats and Handwashing Challenge starts in the morning. Everything is set and ready to go!

My portable diaper caddy!

The tub...ready and waiting!

I even have little man's first diaper cover and flat picked out! (I felt like I was picking out an outfit for the first day of school! Haha!) We'll be starting the day off with a Swaddlebees Unbleached flat, my Zookies cover sent to me for this Challenge and a Snappi sent to me from Zabi Baby! 

I think that I am going to try the Origami fold. I've been practicing that one the most, although this will be the first application on my actual, wiggly little man. If you are participating, what cover and flat are you starting with? Pins or Snappi?

 I'll let you know how it goes! I'll be posting pictures and updates daily...I'll be reviewing some things sent to me from some lovely sponsors as well!

Friday Blog Hops

I hopped around a bit this Friday to find some new blogs! Here's where I hopped to:

Welcome if you are new to my blog! I'm so glad you stopped by! If you leave me a little comment that you are a new follower, I would love to follow you back as well!

Happy Friday!

Prepping for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge

The Flats and Handwashing Challenge starts this Monday, the 23rd! I've been prepping my flat diapers (and myself) to get ready for the challenge and am getting really excited!

Here's how I'm prepping for the Challenge:

I'm getting little man's regular pocket diapers ready to go on a little vacation. Sunday night will be their last day of "work" for a whole week! I'll wash and dry whatever was dirty from the day and then send them on their merry little way for some R&R time. Monday morning (the 23rd and the start of the Challenge), little man will be switching over to flat diapers during the day and for naps. I will be getting creative with flats and possibly a hemp insert to see how that works for night time...we shall see. If all else fails at night, we will return to "ol' faithful" to make sure little man can get a good, dry night's sleep.

Supplies

The Flats:

• 2 dozen flats generously provided to me by Swaddlebees! (1 blue, 1 orange and 2 packages of unbleached)
• 1 Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diaper 
• 2  Hemp Babies Flat Weeds Diapers from Ju-Ju Monkey
• 2 Bamboo Flannel Flat Diapers from Eco Fluff

The Diaper Covers I Am Using:

• 1 Zookies Cover in Hoopla Dots, size Large. Generously provided for me by Zookies for this Challenge!
• 1 Flip Cover
• 2 Thirsties Covers
• 1 Econobum Cover

Detergent I Am Using:

• Rockin' Green Hard Rock - Generously provided for me by Rockin' Green for this Challenge!
• Eco Sprout - Generously provided for me by Eco Sprout for this Challenge!

Misc. Items I Am Using:

• 1 Snappi (provided for my by Zabi Baby for this Challenge!)
• 4 Tiny Tush Heavy Duty Diaper Pins
• 1 "Sentimental" pin that was actually used on me when I was a baby!
• 1 pair of gloves (to save my hands from getting...errr... too dirty)
• Our diaper pail which will store the flats after they have been used.
• Cloth Wipes (6 are the Organic Travel Size Cloth Wipes provided to me by Eco Fluff for this Challenge)
• A travel size container of Organic Vegan EcoButter (also provided to me by Eco Fluff for this Challenge) for any rashes or redness that occur and also to sooth my hands from all the hand washing :)

Washing:

• I will be washing the flats and covers in the tub in our master bathroom. It is close to the toilet for "dunking and swishing", since I also have to send my diaper sprayer on vacation for the week. *wipes tear from eye* I am hoping to wash diapers and covers during little man's nap time so that I can take advantage of the sun and hang everything outside on my portable drying rack from Ikea.

Prepping:

• I prepped my flats for the challenge by boiling them on the stove. I have wanted to learn how to do this since I first read about it about a year ago and I was finally brave enough to try it! I also wanted to prep my flats this way, since this is how someone who doesn't have washer/dryer access would need to prep their diapers. I found the video that Kim, from the Dirty Diaper Laundry, made really helpful. You can watch her video of how to boil and prep flat diapers here.

• I had two pots that were big enough and once the water was boiling, I added some Rockin' Green (approx 1/4 tsp) to the water and then added two flats to each pot. I let them boil for 30 min and then took them out with tongs, transferred them to a bucket with a towel in it and then they headed to the sink to be rinsed, rinsed, rinsed! I rung them out and hung them outside in batches. The flats dried really quickly hanging outside! I was so impressed! One thing that I learned though is that flats are very light, and in windy conditions, they can act like a sail. My last batch of flats were done and outside on the drying rack and we thought that we would take a trip to the park with little man. It was sunny, but a fairly windy day and when we got home, I looked out into our backyard and saw that the wind had moved the drying rack and then blown it over! So, they got rinsed again. All in all, it probably took me about 2 1/2 hours or so to prep 2 dozen Swaddlebees! It took me quite a while, but I'm glad I did it this way - I felt so accomplished!

Little man wondering what's going on in the kitchen...don't worry, he was kept safe and sound and far, far, far away from the stove!

Practicing the Folds:

• This is something I still need to do! Ack! I have already watched quite a few youtube videos and am going to try to watch a few more. Kim also has some great videos on how to do the different folds here and here. I am really looking forward to trying the Origami Fold on little man. Does anyone have any suggestions for folds for an 18 month old little boy? I'd love to hear what folds you've used and what has worked (or not worked) for you!

How I am Mentally Prepping for the Challenge:

• I am definitely excited to do this Challenge - I love that I am learning so many new (and useful) things and I am excited that this Challenge as a whole could raise more awareness about the affordability and flexibility of cloth diapering.

• I am also a bit nervous - we rarely have any leaks with little man's diapers and I'm worried that I might not find the fit with a great absorbency for him...especially at nap time! I know we don't have to use flats at night, but I do want to try. I am also worried that I won't be able to figure out the folds and get them on a squiggly little guy (and have them stay on). I have yet to figure out a Snappi! What about pins? What about being away from home and changing him on the go? What about my diaper sprayer?!? So many questions! I guess time will tell and I'm sure that I will learn a lot and have plenty of funny stories (and probably some pictures too)!

Are you participating in the Flats and Handwashing Challenge? I'd love to know if any of my readers are!

Wordless Wednesday: Eco-Dough!

We bought little man his first set of play dough! We bought him Eco-Dough which is a more natural version of Play-Doh. It was so fun to watch little man figure out what it was and watch him go from hesitation to interest to excitable squishing and smashing!

  

Have a fun and happy Wednesday!

Miss Lily's Washing Powder Winner!

The winner of the Miss Lily's Washing Powder giveaway is...

 

Congratulations Nikki!

Thank you to everyone who entered and a big thank you to Miss Lily's Washing Powder for sponsoring such a wonderful review and giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday: Sharky!

Duh dun....duh dun...dun, dun, dun, dun.....dundundundun!

Little man has a fun "Sharky" hoodie that is perfect for windy spring days! My mom sewed felt "shark teeth" onto a hoodie she got him and I just love the way it turned out! I got the idea from See Kate Sew, HERE.

RARR!

"...like a boy chased by sharky-sharky!" -Eddie Izzard, Dressed to Kill

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mama's and soon-to-be-mama's out there! I hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful day with the one's you love. 

I had a lovely Mothers Day...I got to sleep in!!! Yay! I love sleep! Dear hubby brought me coffee in bed with little man right on his heals exclaiming, "MAMA! Mama! MAMA!" They sure know how to make a mama smile! Little man "got me a card" which he also "signed" and decorated with little scribbles! 

This is my second mother's day with little man on the "outside" and I just adore being little man's mama! I love his hugs and wet, slobbery kisses, the way he runs and how his cheeks jiggle when he really gets going, the way he puts one hand up and asks for "elp" at the playground when he needs help getting up or down, the way he loves to be sung to, the way that the most random thing can make him laugh and sometimes, if I get it just right I can get a full body belly laugh followed by a snort, I love that he wants me to hold him and carry him and read to him and play with him and chase him... I love that he loves me with his whole heart. It makes my heart so full of joy and I am so blessed to be his mommy.

Just after being born!

Today was such a fun, family day, complete with a trip to the park for some fun on the swings, the slide and running about in the fresh air. Then, in the evening we got to skype with my mom and dad (aka...Gramma and Grampa!) and little man was just tickled that he got to see them!

 This is a picture of my Great-Grandma (Omi) and my mom, me (in the plaid pants...lol) and my little brother!

...and this is my mom and I now! :)

Happy Mother's Day! 

 

 

Where I "Hopped" To Today

I joined in on a couple blog hops today! Here is where I hopped to:

Welcome if you are a new follower or if you've been following me for a little while now and just wanted to say hi!  I am so happy you are here!

Wordless Wednesday - PB & J

PB & J sandwiches have been a hit at lunch lately...

Mmm...Mmmm..Mmmm...Mmm... That tastes good!

Cloth Diaper Blog Hop for May!

I just linked up with the Cloth Diaper Blog Hop over at Change-Diapers.com! This is a blog hop especially for fluffy blogs - whether you blog full time about fluff or you just blog about fluff on occasion! So, if you are a cloth diapering blogger, hop on over and link up with the Cloth Diaper Blog Hop!  

A big fluffy welcome if you have found my blog through the Cloth Diaper Blog Hop!

Miss Lily's Washing Powder Review & Giveaway!

 

 I love doing laundry. There, I said it... I love doing laundry! I love that you can take dirty, stinky clothes and diapers, put them in the washing machine with a scoop of detergent and voila! Clean, fresh clothes! I love laundry fresh out of the washer - slightly damp and smelling oh-so-fresh! I am pretty picky about my detergent when it comes to our families clothes, sheets and towels and SUPER picky when it comes to little man's cloth diapers, because, well, they're an investment and I want to take care of them to the best of my ability for long term use as well as taking good care of little man's tushy. I use, well, let's say, "Brand X" cloth diaper detergent and I am pretty happy with it. I find that my diapers come out pretty clean, I only occasionally feel like a load still comes out "stinky" and then I do a soak. One of my biggest issues with it though, is that sometimes I feel like I have to rinse and rinse and rinse so much to get all the suds out. Maybe it's our uber hard water or maybe I am just using too much or maybe it's that darn he machine that barely seems to use a splash of water. Little man has had two rashes under the care of "Brand X" and they were pretty bad - not sure if the detergent had anything to do with it, but his sensitive skin is something I definitely take into consideration when choosing the best detergent for his diapers and clothes. So, since his last rash, I have been a little more open to looking for a new cloth diaper friendly detergent to try and I came across Miss Lily's Washing Powder. I read wonderful reviews about how great it was for sensitive skin and how well it removed stains and the stinkies. I was intrigues! I contacted Miss Lily's Washing Powder and was so excited when I got the opportunity to do a review of Miss Lily's Washing Powder!

Miss Lily's Washing Powder is natural, enzyme-free, soap-free, clean-rinsing laundry detergent. Jill is the woman behind behind Miss Lily's and she is a WAHM of four kids and a cloth diapering mama! Her youngest is Lilyana (aka Miss Lily) and she is who the detergent is named after! Jill's goal is to provide a clean and fresh-smelling laundry without the chemicals found in the other detergents. Jill got started making Miss Lily's after reading about cancer-causing agents in popular detergents.  She started trying out other "green" detergents, but wasn't satisfied with any of them. Jill knew there had to be a better way -- a way to make a natural detergent that is effective on stains and odors. So, Jill started working on her very own formula and when she felt like she had gotten the perfect formula down, she had some friends try it out ...and, they loved it! So, Miss Lily's Washing Powder was born and Jill decided to start selling it. 

I was sent a small bag of Miss Lily's Washing Powder to review and I have to say, for a small bag, it lasted forever! A little bit goes a very long way! I read over the directions before I put Miss Lily's washing Powder to the test ...I couldn't wait to get a load of little man's cloth diapers in the wash!

The directions for use can also be found on Miss Lily's Washing Powder's Facebook page: 

• Directions for clothing use: Use 2-4 tablespoons of Miss Lily's per load, depending on the size of the load and how soiled it is. HE users need only 1-2 tablespoons. Usually, only the smallest amount is necessary. Run a heavy wash cycle, if possible. For extra smelly clothes, a soak might be a good idea (see stinky diaper directions).

• Directions for diaper use: Run an extra large load size, cold water rinse first. Then, run a warm or hot heavy duty wash cycle using 2-4 tablespoons of Miss Lily's, half that amount for HE users. Rinse well, using a warm water rinse if possible, or double rinse.

• Directions for stinky diapers or diapers with build-up: Fill washer or tub with warm to hot water, add 2-4 tablespoons of Miss Lily's and your unsoiled diapers. Allow diapers to soak for 1-2 hours or overnight, depending on the odor problem. Rinse well, then run a normal diaper hot wash using no detergent.

• Stain removal: For stubborn stains, remove as much as possible with cold water. There are two effective pretreatments. They are: 

1. Make a paste of Miss Lily's and water. Apply to stain, gently rub with gloved hands or rub fabric together. Allow paste to sit on stain. Launder as usual with the warmest water possible. Repeat if necessary, being sure not to dry garment in the dryer if stain is still present.
2. Soak the garment using 1-4 tablespoons of Miss Lily's and warm water. Allow garment to soak 1-2 hours or as long as overnight. Launder as usual with the warmest water possible. Repeat if necessary, being sure not to dry garment in the dryer if stain is still present.

• (Sunlight works very well at removing stains. Putting your diapers/clothes outside to dry in the sunshine is a great way to get rid of stains, and it makes them smell great.)

• Nothing removes all stains, individual results may vary.

• Do not mix with bleach.

I found these directions to be very helpful and I also talked to Jill about the correct amount of Miss Lily's Washing Powder that I should use with our hard water and the he machine that I have. Jill let me know that she also has hard water and that I shouldn't have to use any more than the directions stated. She did mention that for those with soft water, you may find that using less works just as well.

Little man's diapers being washed with Miss Lily's Washing Powder!

So what did I think? I used Miss Lily's Washing Powder on little man's cloth diapers, on towels, sheets and on clothing. Many loads of laundry later, I am still impressed! I think that my favorite thing about Miss Lily's Washing Powder is how clean rinsing it is. I actually sat and watched a load of laundry go through the entire wash cycle. (I know, I'm a nerd, but little man is always so entertained by his colorful diapers spinning around!) Miss Lily's Washing Powder was very low suds-ing and when the laundry was done, I opened the door, sniffed, stuck my head further in and sniffed again and... nothing! It smelled like clean, wet cloth diapers. I hung my diapers out in the sun and have not noticed any stains that dared to sick around on little man's diapers. I am also happy to report that little man's bum has not had any rash issues and his sensitive skin seems to like his cloth diapers being washed in Miss Lily's Washing Powder! I also feel like my load of whites came out just a wee bit whiter after a spin with Miss Lily's Washing Powder. I am a super happy with the results from Miss Lily's Washing Powder, it really is perfect for cloth diapers and all of your laundry!

No residual suds during the rinse cycle...Yay!

Interested in getting some Miss Lily's Washing Powder for your laundry room? You can BUY Miss Lily's Washing Powder here and just take a look at all those yummy scents! I think Miss Lily's Bamboo and White Grapefruit and Miss Lily's Lemon Sugar sound just like what my laundry room needs for spring!

-OR-

  You can WIN a full sized bag of Miss Lily's Washing Powder in your choice of scent!

Here's how to enter:
Mandatory Entry:

• First, you must publicly follow my blog via GFC and then visit Miss Lily's Washing Powder and let me know what your favorite scent is!

*This mandatory entry must be completed for the rest of your entries to be valid. I will be checking/verifying your comments, if you say you signed up for something or did something, you do need to actually do it for it to count as an entry*

 

Extra Entries:

•  "Heart" Miss Lily's Washing Powder on Etsy and leave your Etsy name in your comment. (1 entry)

• Follow Miss Lily's Washing Powder on Facebook (you can thank her for the giveaway from @The Little Hedgehog if you would like) (1 entry) 

•  Make a purchase from Miss Lily's Washing Powder from now until the giveaway ends on 5/10. I will verify your purchase with Jill. (5 entries)

• Add my button to your blog and leave me a link (2 entries)

• Follow The Little Hedgehog on Facebook. (1 entry) 

• Follow me on Twitter: @lttlehedgehog then, comment here with your Twitter ID to get your entry. (1 entry) 

• Tweet about this giveaway. Comment with a direct link to your tweet so I can see it to get your entry!  You may use this tweet or make up your own:  #Win a bag of Miss Lily's Washing Powder on the @lttlehedgehog blog! Safe for #clothdiapers! http://bit.ly/lUSBZh {Ends 5/10} #giveaway  (1 entry per day)

• Sign up to receive The Little Hedgehog emails via feedburner and have your subscription verified. (2 entries)

• Blog about this review/giveaway. Be sure to include a link to this review/giveaway. Comment with a link to your blog post to get your entry! (2 entries)

*Don't forget to put your email address in each comment so I can get a hold of you if you are the lucky winner! If I cannot get a hold of you, I will have to draw another winner! Also, I will check to make sure that the winner filled out the mandatory entry.

***Open to the US with shipping included. The giveaway is open to those outside the US, but the winner must cover the difference in shipping. Jill will cover the first $5, and the winner (if outside the US) would cover the remaining $8.95.***

I'll accept entries until Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at Midnight PST. I'll select a winner using random.org's random number generator, then email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email and if I don't get a response, I will have to choose another winner. Again, make sure you leave your email address in your comment!


*Miss Lily's Washing Powder will be sending the winner’s prize item to them directly. 

Thank you to Jill of Miss Lily's Washing Powder for providing me with the opportunity to host this review and giveaway at no cost to myself. The items were sent to me free of charge for review and has not influenced my opinion of the product. I have sought to give my honest opinions and experiences on this product. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Thank you again to Miss Lily's Washing Powder for sponsoring this review and giveaway!