Don't Forget! Pixiekids Giveaway Ends TODAY (2/11)

Don't forget to get your entries in for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate to Pixiekids Toys Etsy shop! Pixiekids Toys has the cutest felt toys...what do you have your eye on?

 

You can head on over to read my review and find out how you can enter to win! The contest ends tonight (2/11) at midnight PST.

Good luck!

Green Toys Review - Good Green Fun!

  

I really try to seek out things for our home and things for little man that are eco-friendly, "green", free from icky chemicals/dyes/BPA's/phthalates/lead paint...you know, "that" stuff that you can find on just about every shelf at every big name store. I just love the feeling when I know that little man is playing with a toy that I don't have to worry about the long term affect will be from him chewing and gnawing on every surface of it. I love to support companies that make their products here in the USA and I like knowing that these same toys will not only foster little man's imagination, but stand up to his "boy-ish" ways of play. So, I get pretty excited when I find something that is good for the environment, safe, sturdy ...oh yeah, and fun! Green Toys has made my day!

Green Toys Inc. makes an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. This helps reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet.

Green Toys actually makes all of their toys from recycled milk containers! How awesome is that! It's kinda cool to think that my milk container can "grow up" to become part of someones toy! All Green Toys products are also 100% made in the USA. (Yay!) They are actually produced in California - now that makes my little Southern California heart oh-so-happy! I mean, it makes me want to see if I could go visit to see where Green Toys are actually made. It's so cool to think that a Green Toy that I buy for little man is made right here in California! The whole process, from milk container recycling to toy production to final assembly, occurs in my home state!

Now, the packaging that Green Toys comes in is created with as much thought and care as the toys that are in them. 

All Green Toys products are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. So, not only are they earth-friendly and ready for your recycling bin, they are really easy to open for those little fingers just itching to get at the toys!!

It was so easy to open the box! It was a breath of fresh air to not have to undo a million twisty ties or zip ties or rip and tear and claw my way towards the goal of a toy.

On the safety front, Green Toys are free of Phthalates and BPA. They are also designed without any external coatings, so you don't have to worry about any lead paint on your children's toys.

Little man couldn't even wait for me to open the boxes! As soon as I set them down, he was all over them!

 

Green Toys sent little man and I the Stacker to review. When I received my package from them (mighty fast shipping I should add!) I was surprised to see that they had also included one of the brand new red Race Cars! It is so much fun to play with! (yes, I play with it too) It is so cute and lightweight, it really "zooms" about on the carpet. Right now, little man's favorite game is to have me chase him in circles with the race car, while I am making "vroom-vroom" and "beep-beep" noises while I drive the car around and around! He just squeals in delight! (This continues until I get dizzy!)

Beep...Beep! Zooooom!

 Like their other toys, it does not have any BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings. It is designed for children ages 1 and up, has no metal axles and is available in red, blue, or pink.

I love that is has the #2 recycled plastic symbol on its hood!

The Green Toys Stacker is little man's favorite so far! It is appropriate for children 6 months and up and he just has a ball stacking the eight nesting pieces - he tries to stack them both upwards from big to small and in reverse, starting with the small one and tyring to stack the bigger ones on top. It is so cute to watch him! He also has put in some serious teething time on the stacker! I have to say that it is one sturdy little toy! I haven't even seen one set of teeth marks! I love knowing that it is a safe toy for him to throw all about and chew on since it doesn't have a center post, it is free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, and external coatings! Yay for "Good Green Fun!" 

Yummm... So much fun to chew on!

Green Toys are truly awesome and fun toys. They are sturdy, well put together and Green Toys has paid great attention to all the little details. They are all toys that spark creative and imaginative play, yet can withstand the rough-and-tumble play of kiddos! I really am impressed with Green Toys as a company and what they stand for. Green Toys is definitely a household favorite! I love our Green Toys and I can't wait to get some more for little man to play with! 

 I'm eye-balling the Dump Truck and the Sand play set for him next!

...Oh! And I think little man needs a Tugboat for bath-time too! 

 Green Toys also has a new line called Green Eats, which is a line of eco-friendly tableware for kids. They are ultra-safe and they are all melamine-free, BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free and have no external coatings. They also come in super fun and cheerful colors!

Want to add to your little one's green toy collection? You can check out their collection to see what would suit your little one's fancy! You can shop for Green Toys products from their website or check out their list of retailers that carry Green Toys!

You can also check out Green Toys on Facebook and Twitter as well as sign up for their email updates if you would like to stay in the Green Toys "loop".

Happy Green Toy Shopping! I would love to hear what your favorites are!

Wordless Wednesday: Look What I Can Do!

Little Man revealed some new "tricks" up his sleeve this week!

He likes to "hide" small toys under the armchair and then grab my hand or daddy's to "find" the toy and get it back out for him to hide all over again.

Look what I can do!

He had fun bending over and driving his car through his legs or grabbing other toys and playing with them while the blood rushed to his head.

Happy Wednesday!

*sorry the photo quality isn't that great...I snapped these with my iphone

Spring is in the Air!

Little Man and I took a walk today and as I turned the corner from our street to the next, I saw ...Spring!

I think Punxsutawney Phil was right! Spring is on it's way! The pink flowers were just so pretty and cheerful to see, it was almost like an early Valentines gift!

Happy Early Valentines Day!

Sunshine Makes Me Happy!

*Happy Sigh* It is a b-e-a-utiful sunny southern California day! I was so happy to finally get to hang little man's cloth diapers out in the sun to soak up some rays. It seemed like it was always rainy here on laundry day (I think there were evil forces working against me) and my cloth diapers have seen too much of the inside of a dryer. I'm so happy to get the chance to take advantage of the sun's natural whitening and brightening powers! 

 Yay! We will definitely be taking advantage of the sunshine today...perhaps with a trip to the park! 

I got so excited that I was able to hang my diapers out in the sun that I just had to share some pictures! 

 

*Note the portable clothesline...we aren't "allowed" to have real clotheslines in our housing community, so I tote this one out on sunny days! I'm sneaky!*

How do you dry your diapers? Clothesline? Dryer? Another method? I'd love to hear about it!

I hope that you are having a happy, sunny day wherever this post finds you today! Happy Friday!

 

Don't Mind Me if I Drool...

I love Etsy! I am constantly finding unique and wonderful new things! Look at these super-uber cutie handmade diaper covers that I found in the Olive Jane Designs Etsy shop! 

I have sterted to add fitted diapers to little man's diaper stash and have been on the hunt for some diaper covers. These are so cute that I wouldn't want to cover them up with pants! Thank goodness for So-Cal summers that will be here before I know it! I love that she has a nice selection for boys, because sometime I feel like it can be hard to find things that are "cute" and "boy-ish". These are my favorites from her shop and I just had to share!

Beets! Call me crazy, but ever since I first pureed beets for little man, I am constantly singing him my own made-up "Beet" song: "You got the beets, the beet, the beets, the beets...you got the beets!" Haha!...it sounds good to me and it makes him smile. :)

I love the black and gray damask with the sunshine yellow trim!

I'm a huge fan of anything with buses on it (my dad used to be a bus driver and still works for the same transit company) and little man loves cars!

Love swirly polka dots!

 Head on over to Olive Jane Designs and check out her adorable selection of handmade diaper covers! What's your favorite cover or other item from her shop? Do share! 

Happy Etsy Shopping!

February Cloth Blog Hop

I've been reading Change-Diapers (Fitteds and Pockets and Snappis, oh my!) for a long time...it was actually one of the first blogs that I found with cloth diaper reviews and it really helped me figure out where I wanted to start with cloth diapers when I was first researching cloth diapers for little man!

Well, now there is a monthly Cloth Blog Hop over at Change-Diapers (Fitteds and Pockets and Snappis, oh my!), so if you cloth diaper, blog about it, chat about it, make wish-lists of cloth diapers you want (wait, is that just me?) or really anything cloth diapering relating, hop on over and link your blog up!

Happy Diapering!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

We recently took little man to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the first time! We were up north visiting my parents and took a day to go say "hi" to all the fish and other critters at the Aquarium. It was so much fun for me to go there with him and my hubby (and my mom too!) since that was the Aquarium that I had grown up going to. Our family would go about once a month when my brother and I were little to have lunch and look at all the fishies and otters and jellies. It was so much fun and I have such happy memories from going there. It was wonderful to start the tradition of taking our little man to the same Aquarium!

visiting the birdies with a view out to the bay where we could see a pod of dolphins playing!

In a tunnel watching the "ocean tides" flow over your head!

The Jellyfish exhibit has always been my favorite and little man loved reaching out to try to "touch" them!

-CLOSED- Thirsties Duo Diaper Review & Giveaway!

I recently had the opportunity to take a Thirsties Duo Diaper for a spin on my little man! Wow! Can I just say that I l-o-v-e this diaper?!? Thirsties sent us the Duo Diaper in the Blackbird print in a size two. My 14 month old son is about 26lbs and super tall. We currently are using the diaper on the middle setting and there is still plenty of room for him to grow and still wear this diaper. 

The Duo Diaper really packs a lot of great diaper qualities into one easy to use diaper. It is a two piece pocket diapering system that combines microfiber terry & hemp/cotton combo insert for adjustable absorption (there are 7 layers in all). 

The inserts get snapped together (so there's no slipping around) and then stuffed under the soft microfleece liner and then it is all wrapped up into an adorable waterproof diaper! Now, at first, I have to say that I was very hesitant about the dual openings of the Duo Diaper. I was so nervous that the inserts were going to come inching out the front of the diaper while little man was running around! Well, nothing has come inching out yet and little man is very active. It definitely stays put once it's in there. *Side note from an email I got from Thirsties: make sure you aren't tucking the insert into the flap of the PUL on the inside. They recommend to not tuck the insert into the flap as it can cause leaking through the stitching by the Aplix.*

Then there is the leg gussets and they are just awesome at their job of keeping, um, well, "stuff" in the diaper where it should be. :) I think that the leg gussets are my favorite feature of the Duo Diaper - they provide such a perfect fit around my sons legs that I never have to worry that any wetness or other surprises will leak out. 

The closure on the Duo Diaper is Aplix and at first I wasn't thrilled about that. But, I have since changed my mind. I am definitely on the fence about whether I prefer Aplix or snaps. I like the adjustability of Aplix, but dislike how some can wear out and not be as "sticky" any more. With snaps you know you are getting a secure fit and they will hold up, but it is not quite as adjustable. Also little man has become quite adept at un-doing Velcro...whether it is on a diaper or shoes or whatever. I was pleasantly surprised however at how sturdy the Aplix is on the Duo Diaper - it was very secure and little man hasn't even tried to un-do it and it definitely seems like it will stand the test of many washings and still be as durable. Another side note from Thirsties: They have plans to release a snap version of the Duo Diaper, for all those parents that prefer snaps over Aplix. Look for it later this year! - exciting!*

The Duo Diaper also has three rows of snaps so that you can adjust the rise to best fit your little one. I love this option since little man is long and fairly thin, it allows me to adjust the rise so that the diaper is long enough and then I can cinch him in the diaper with the Aplix to make sure I get a perfect fit around his waist. 

I am also happy to report that while I have been using the Duo Diaper, we haven't had any leaks! Now, I haven't used it at night yet (partially because I can't bring myself to cover up the cute Blackbird print), but I think with an extra insert in there, this diaper could definitely stand the over-night test. All in all, the Thirsties Duo Diaper is an exceptional diaper. It has so many well thought out features that will help this diaper last on your little one and adjust to their growing little bodies. I definitely want to add some more Duo Diaper's to our stash, I just love them. I'm eye-balling Meadow and Ocean Blue to add to little man's collection! I would highly recommend this diaper to anyone I know.

I though that it was pretty trim!

Here's a little bit about Thirsties the company:

Thirsties is a small (but growing!) cloth diaper company committed to greener parenting and Eco Friendly solutions, not to mention 100% USA Made quality! Erin, founder of Thirsties, started this business with an old sewing machine and $100 5 years ago. Through her hard work and diligence, the company is now one of the leaders in the cloth diaper industry. Our diapers are now made by work at home mothers, and very close to our warehouse, reducing our carbon output. Our customer service reps are experienced cloth diapering moms, and offer our knowledge to our retailers and customers alike.

Here at Thirsties, we aim to provide the very best product and customer service! If you ever have any questions or concerns, please let us know!

I really love that Thirsties diapers are US made! I also appreciate the steps they are taking to be more eco-friendly. Even their packaging can be composted or recycled!

Here are some of the diaper details:

Thirsties Diaper Sizing:

size one:
6-18 lbs (3-8 kg)
0-9 months 

size two:
18-40 lbs (8-18 kg)
9-36 months

Thirsties Diaper Colors/Prints:

Thirsties Diaper Pricing:

$18.50 each for solids
$19.50 each for prints

Thirsties has generously offered one of my readers a Duo Diaper of their very own! You can enter to WIN a Duo Diaper in your choice of color or print!

  Here's how to enter:
Mandatory Entry:

• First, you must publicly follow my blog via GFC and then head on over to Thirsties and tell me another product you would love to try.

*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:

•  "Like" Thirsties on Facebook and thank them for the review on The Little Hedgehog w/ a link to this giveaway. (2 entries)

• Request the Thirsties catalog (1 entry)

• Tell me what size you would need and which color or print you would love if you won. (1 entry)

•  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:  Enter to #Win a Thirsties Duo Diaper from @lttlehedgehog  http://bit.ly/eTWdyc {Ends 2/12} #clothdiapers #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 and Canada!

I'll accept entries until Saturday, February 12, 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!

*Thirsties  will be sending the winner’s prize item to them directly. 

Thank you to Thirsties for providing me with the opportunity to host this review and giveaway at no cost to myself. The item was 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 Thirsties for sponsoring this review and giveaway!