The Flats and Handwashing Challenge: Sponsor Spotlight - Zabi Baby

During the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, I was very lucky to have some amazing sponsors. One of my wonderful sponsors, Zabi Baby, sent me an awesome Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diaper and a Snappi to help me with the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! 

Zabi Baby is a small, independent store dedicated to selling beautiful, hand-crafted cloth diapers and covers that behave good with the earth and your baby's skin!

Glorimar is the wonderful woman and mom behind Zabi Baby and she is such a pleasure to chat with! Glorimar sent me a Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diaper a Snappi to use for the Challenge. The Bamboo flat diapers are very unique, not only because of the awesome bamboo/terry material, but also because they are custom made just for you when you place your order! You get to choose your stitching thread from a beautiful selection of colors.

 

Ooooh... What's your favorite color?

All of the colors are so beautiful...it made it hard to choose! With hubby's help, I chose Blue Water Ice and I think that it is just  perfect!  

Close up of the stitching

One really great thing is that the Zabi Baby Bamboo Flats are already prepped when they get to you! How wonderful is that! Glorimar preps the fabrics prior to cutting to avoid further shrinking but, she does recommend that you wash the flat just like any other new diaper you would buy. You just don't have to spend all that time over a boiling pot of water!

The Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diapers are made with double-sided viscose from bamboo terry, which make them super absorbent, trim and they have the perfect amount of stretch! I loved the feel of the bamboo terry - so soft and cozy against little man's skin! It felt like I was wrapping him in a little terry dream! The strechy-ness to the bamboo material was so great for getting the wings of the folds wrapped around little man. I felt that when I was using this diaper, I got an excellent and very snug fit around his waist. And absorbent? Oh my goodness...they're not kidding! That flat diaper can hold A LOT! It was definitely my favorite flat to use during the Challenge, especially at nap time. I knew that no matter how much little man had had to drink, the Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diaper would soak it up. I loved this flat so much that I would sometimes wash it twice a day, just so I would be able to use it more!   

Doesn't that just look so soft and cozy!

Washing my Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat was very easy too. It was a great material to work with for swishing around in the soapy water and the texture of the bamboo terry was great for scrubbing against itself to get it super clean. It rinsed clean very quickly and I didn't feel like it held onto the detergent at all. The only thing that I did notice was that when it was wet, it was a lot heavier than my other flats! It wasn't a bad thing, it was simply because the material used on the Zabi Baby flat is much weightier.It definitely gave me a good feel for how much liquid it could hold too!

Scrub a dub-dub! My Zabi Baby is in the tub!

Drying time was comparable to my other cotton and hemp flats. It did take a little longer for the Zabi Baby flat to dry - I noticed more of a difference when I dried them on my drying rack inside at night and less of a difference when they were all dried outside in the sunshine . Again, I think that the drying times varied simply because of the difference in material. 

Overall, I love, love, LOVED the Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diapers! I really can't say enough good things about this flat. It was so user friendly, it was soft, uber-absorbent, perfect for day-time or nap-time, road trips, errands or just around the house. It was a breeze to clean and I just wanted to use this diaper all the time! 

Glorimar had also sent me a Snappi to use for the Challenge! I was really excited to give it a try, because I had never used one before and it looked so cool and innovative! Well, I mean, I had never used a flat diaper before or hand-washed anything...so the whole process was new to me, haha! The Snappi is a pin-less diaper fastener that you can use instead of diaper pins. It is slightly stretchy and is made from a non-toxic material. It is T-shaped and has grips on each end that hook into the diaper fabric for a snug fit. 

The directions for how to use a Snappi seem simple enough:

Well, for some odd reason, I seemed to struggle with the Snappi! My first few attempts with it left something to be desired. It did stay (those teeth really do grip the diapers!) but I just wasn't "feeling" the Snappi love. Hubby on the other hand was in awe of the Snappi. He thought it was the greatest invention in all of the cloth diapering world. Sometimes I think he would change little man's diaper just so he could re-apply the Snappi. :) 

Hubby putting a Snappi on our Zabi baby flat!

I did eventually feel more confident using the Snappi and by the last two days of the Challenge, I was much quicker at fastening the Snappi to the flats! Yay! The Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diaper worked great with the Snappi. It was probably my favorite diaper to pair with the Snappi. The material was excellent for the hooks to really get a good grip on and the strechy-ness of the bamboo flat and the Snappi seemed to really compliment each other. So, by the end of the Challenge, I was definitely a Snappi convert and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to invest in flats or prefolds for their little one!

I really loved getting to experience a Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diaper, it was such a treat to use! It is a wonderful flat and I would definitely recommend this diaper to anyone who is looking to start cloth diapering with flats or add to their cloth diaper stash! I would also recommend getting a Snappi - once you get the hang of it, it really is easy to use and you don't have to worry about accidentally pinning your baby! Glorimar was so easy to talk to and so helpful - I highly recommend shopping from her at Zabi Baby or even just chatting with her if you have any questions.

Interested in getting some Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diapers, a Snappi or maybe one of the Limited Edition Zabi Baby Bamboo Prefolds with the NEW Zabi Baby logo on it? You can shop for Zabi Baby on their Website! 

The Zabi Baby Bamboo Flats Diapers come in two different sizes:

24"x24"  - $11.25 per flat diaper

26"x26"  - $12.25 per flat diaper
*(Yes, these diapers are individually more expensive that some cotton flats, but I think that they are totally worth it. Even if you can only afford to add one of two to your cloth diaper stash, you will be so happy you did!)

A Snappi is $3.95 for a Single in Size 1

You can also connect with Zabi Baby on Facebook!

 

Special thanks to Zaby Baby for sponsoring me with a Zabi Baby Bamboo Flat Diaper and a Snappi to use for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! 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 Zaby Baby for sponsoring me during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

The Flats and Handwashing Challenge: Sponsor Spotlight - Zookies

During the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, I was very lucky to have some amazing sponsors. One of my wonderful sponsors, Zookies, sent me an awesome large diaper cover to help me with the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! Zookies are a family owned and operated store and they handcraft diaper covers, chenille bibs, burp cloths, wipes and more!

Zookies diaper covers are waterproof and they are available in four sizes - extra small, small, medium, and large. The XS has a 13" rise and fits a baby 7-10lbs, the Small has a 15" rise and fits a baby that is 10-15lbs, the Medium has a 17" rise and fits a 15-25lb baby and the Large has a 19" rise and will fit a 25+lb bayby.  Zookies has also created a one size option as well and most prints that you see for the sized diapers are available for the one size as well. The one size diaper has a 13-19" rise and will fit a 10-35lb baby! The inner layer of the covers are made of waterproof PUL and the outer layer is 100% cotton. You can also choose to have your cover made with either snaps or hook and loop!

Close up of the snaps on the front

I chatted with Michelle about the Flats and Handwashing Challenge and told her two of my favorite prints and she sent me the Hoopla Dots Diaper Cover in a Large. I love it! It is such an awesome and fun boy print! 

The front of the Zookies cover

The back of the cover

The inside PUL

This Zookies diaper cover can be used over any flat, prefold or fitted cloth diaper. It can also be used alone as a swim diaper! I used it over all of my different flats during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge and it worked great! My Zookies cover didn't leak once during the Challenge! 

The cover fit little man really well, with room to grow, so this cover will last us a really long time. Little man is about 27lbs right now, so I chose a Large diaper. The cover fit over all of the different folds - everything from a single layer flat to an ultra-padded nap-time diaper! I felt that since the cover is a little roomy on little man still, it was an excellent choice for the doubled up nap-time diapers. It could contain even the thickest bamboo terry flat and hemp flat combo that I created!

My Zookies cover with a bamboo/terry flat and a hemp flat pad folded!

Ready for nap-time!

Little man looked like a little sumo wrestler, but the Zookies cover kept it contained! I was worried that since the leg area didn't have a double gusset feature, that I might experience some leaking (mainly at nap time), but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had no such troubles with the Zookies cover during the entire week of the Challenge! My Zookies cover was definitely my go-to diaper cover for nap-times! It was really a workhorse diaper cover and it's super cute too! 

Close up of the leg area

Great fit around the legs!

So cute and fluffy!

When it came to the hand-washing portion, I was interested to see how the Zookies cover would do, since the outer fabric is 100% cotton. Well, I am happy to say that not only did it wash up well, but the fabric didn't wrinkle and it dried very quickly, even inside overnight! 

Swish, swish! My Zookies cover was taking a bath!

My Zookies cover dried perfectly overnight!

I am a huge fan of Zookies covers! I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a diaper cover - whether you are using it as a cover for flats, prefolds or fitteds! I love that it can also double as a swim diaper, what a great bonus! Zookies covers are made with exceptional quality and the fabric choices are so fun, vibrant and colorful! What a great way to liven up your stash of covers! Not only are they affordable, but you can feel great about supporting a family who makes exceptional handmade diaper covers and more!

I was perusing through the Zookies Etsy shop at some of the Sold diaper covers and other goodies and I found this adorable hedgehog diaper!!! AHHH! *Be still my heart* She also had sold a super cute snack bag! How perfect for The Little Hedgehog...I will definitely be asking Michele if she has any more of this fabric!

 

What is your favorite Zookies Diaper Cover?

 
Interested in getting a Zookies Diaper Cover or another fun goody for your little one? You can shop for Zookies of their Website or their Etsy Shop! XS Diaper covers are $10 and Small, Medium and Large Diaper Covers range from $13-15. One size diapers are $17.00. You can even have Zookies take your favorite fabric and make it into a diaper cover -  Sized covers are $9.50 plus shipping and one size are $11.50 plus shipping. 

You can also connect with Zookies on Facebook

 

Special thanks to Zookies for sponsoring me with a Large Diaper Cover to use for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! 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 Zookies for sponsoring me during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

 

The Flats and Handwashing Challenge: Sponsor Spotlight - EcoFluff

 

During the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, I was very lucky to have some amazing sponsors. One wonderful sponsor, EcoFluff, sent me 2 Bamboo Flannel Flat Diapers, 6 Organic Travel Size Cloth Wipes and a travel size container of Organic Vegan EcoButter to help me with the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

EcoFluff is run by Naomi, a work at home mom who has is passionate about sustainability and eco-friendly living. Naomi strives to create products are not only organic, but also vegan whenever possible. EcoFluff items are always made from sustainably produced materials and without using any harmful chemicals. All of the materials are made in the USA (as much as reasonably possible), so when you purchase an item from EcoFluff, you can feel confident knowing that you are making a green choice but a choice that supports a WAHM and our nation's commerce!

I got the chance to chat with Naomi a bit and ask her a little bit about EcoFluff:

What inspired the name, Eco Fluff, for your Etsy shop?
I wanted a name that reflected what I was trying to do with my store, would lend itself easily to the branding process, and would be easy to remember. EcoFluff fit the bill!

How long has your Etsy shop been open? I opened my Etsy shop in February 2011.

How long have you been working with bamboo and making your flats? Did someone teach you or did you pick it up on your own?
I've been working with bamboo and making cloth diapers since fall of 2009 when I when I was pregnant with my son. I've always been very involved in crafting and sewing. When I realized I wanted to cloth diaper, it was a very natural direction for my creative energies to turn. I picked it up on my own, but I could never have done it without all the great information that other cloth diapering moms so generously share on the internet!

What got you interested in working with bamboo?
I guess my Asian heritage is what initially piqued my interest. But when I found out how absorbent, soft, durable, and even antibacterial that bamboo fibers are, I became a fan for life.

Do you have any tips for those interested in learning to use flats? (or any general cloth diapering tips?)
Don't be scared to try them! Flats are not only the most versatile and economical choice out there, they're also the most environmentally friendly because they wash more easily, require fewer cycles in the washing machine, and dry very quickly. Some people may be intimidated by the folding process, but it's really not hard at all once you try it and it doesn't take any longer to prep them than stuffing and snapping inserts for other diapers. If you're apprehensive about pinning, you actually don't need pins or snappis because the diaper cover will hold it in place. It's one less step to worry about if you have a very active child!

I LOVED using all of the items I received from EcoFluff! The Bamboo Flannel Flat Diaper was so wonderfully soft and fleecy! What a treat for little man's tushy! The bamboo flats measure approximately 21"x30" and are made of 100% unbleached bamboo, so they  aren't a bleached "white-white" color, but are more of a soft ivory. They come pre-washed and I noticed that right out of the package they felt incredibly soft. Since they are already prepped, it is one less thing that you have to do when you are getting ready to use flats and that means that they are already super absorbent! Yay! It was so nice not to have to spend the extra time prepping the bamboo flats. I just washed them in the tub with the rest of my flats.

A close up of the bamboo flat

Bamboo is really an amazing material and the bamboo that EcoFluff uses is sustainably grown without pesticides or chemicals, so you can feel good about using these on your little one! I found the EcoFluff flats to be very easy to use with my Snappi and they were also perfect for doing a pad fold! Bamboo flannel is 3 times more absorbent than cotton, lightweight and it is very trim inside a diaper - this made it a perfect choice for nap-time and when we were going out for an afternoon! They were perfect to do a pad fold with and wrap up inside a diaperbag fold or another fold and they held up amazingly. We didn't have any leaks while we were using the EcoFluff flats!

Tucking the EcoFluff bamboo flat into a Flip diaper

A pad fold fits perfectly!

Washing the bamboo flats was super easy. They cleaned well and even though I thought I would have a stain from a particularly messy diaper...Nope! The stain washed right out!

My EcoFluff bamboo flat being washed in the tub

They also dried very quickly in the sun and the breeze when they were hung outside. They also dried well indoors when I washed at night and hung them on my drying rack indoors. One thing that impressed my was how soft they were after drying on my drying rack both inside and outside. They weren't stiff at all! 

So trim!

I also received 6 Organic Travel Size Cloth Wipes, which are made from the same material as the bamboo flats (100% bamboo flannel) and edged with 100% cotton thread. Which means they are just as soft and fleecy! The travel wipes measure approximately 7"x4" and are the perfect size for your diaper bag! Hubby loved these wipes - he loved how soft they were, their size, how easily you could pack them all because they are a single layer of fabric and how loved how easily they cleaned everything from a wet diaper to a messy diaper! At one point he asked me why didn't we have about 20 or more because they were so great to use!   

Perched in my diaper caddy next to my wipe solution! Definitely my favorite wipes to use during the Challenge!

The wipes washed up really well in the tub and I didn't have any staining on them. I loved how soft they were after coming in from being dried on our drying rack outside too! Since we couldn't use a dryer during the Challenge, they were the only wipes that weren't stiff as a board!

 

Size comparison - my hand next to an EcoFluff travel wipe.

The last item I received is the new Organic Vegan EcoButter in the .33 oz. Travel Size container. Naomi handcrafts this rash and skin cream using the healing power of aloe vera, shea, cocoa, and mango butters. The EcoButter is completely vegan, food grade, 83% organic and it is free of artificial preservatives. 

I absolutely loves using the EcoButter! It was fabulous for little man's skin and mine! I used it a handful of times on little man's tushy - usually after a messy diaper episode and by the next diaper change the redness would be gone! I also used it on my knuckles which would get so dry after hand-washing the diapers (remember I mentioned that I used cheap gloves and water kept getting in). It felt so soothing on my hands and really helped them to heal quickly. I also use the EcoButter on little man's face. He tends to get dry skin on his cheeks and around his mouth and I found that the EcoButter works wonders at soothing the area and reducing redness. I even used it on my chapped lips! (Don't worry, I use clean hands for each application and don't "double dip") It healed my chapped lips right up and it stays on really nicely.

A close up of EcoButter

A little goes a long with with EcoButter and I found that even though I used it on little man's diaper area during diaper changes without a liner, I had no issues when I went to wash the diapers. I had no trouble with staining from the EcoButter or repelling. It seemed like it washed right out! The travel size container was perfect to take with us when we were on the go too! I am a huge fan of EcoButter - it heals wonderfully, it is cloth diaper safe, it didn't cause repelling and feels so soothing! 

Everything that I received from EcoFluff was absolutely wonderful! I felt so lucky to have been able to try the flats, wipes and EcoButter on little man for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge. I would definitely recommend Naomi's EcoFluff products to anyone!

Interested in buying some Ecofluff bamboo flats, travel wipes or some EcoButter to use on your little one? You can buy Ecofluff Bamboo Flannel Flat Diaper in a 3-pack for $24.00, a set of 6 Organic Travel Size Cloth Wipes is only $5.00 and the Organic Vegan EcoButter in the .33 oz. Travel Size is $5.00. There are plenty of other wonderful items that Naomi carries in her EcoFluff Etsy shop and you can take a look at them all HERE.

Special thanks to Naomi of EcoFluff for sponsoring me during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! 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 EcoFluff for sponsoring me during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

Review Turned Giveaway!

Make sure you take a peek at the Rockin' Green review that I did during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge....it has turned into a fun little giveaway! Scroll down to the bottom to read my update! Good luck everyone! There will be TWO winners - each winner will receive 2 samples of Rockin' Green Classic Rock!

The Flats and Handwashing Challenge: Sponsor Spotlight - Swaddlebees

 

During the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, I was very lucky to have some wonderful sponsors. My biggest sponsor was Swaddlebees who sent me two dozen flats to help me with the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

Swaddlebees sent me two packages of Unbleached Flats, one package of Bleached Blue Printed Flats and one package of Bleached Orange Printed Flats. Each package has 6 diapers in it. The Swaddlebees flats are 100% cotton birdseye and measure approx. 31.5" x 31.5" before they are prepped. 

Before being prepped - approx 32" x 32"

After they were prepped, they shrunk to about 29.5" x 30.25" and there was some fading of the prints. (Swaddlebees does mention that fading is normal) I felt like the orange dot print faded more than any of the others and none of the others seemed to have much noticeable fading. 

After being prepped

Once the diapers were prepped, I felt like the bleached became more absorbent more quickly. The Unbleached became more absorbent the more that they were hand washed. I also let them soak for a bit every time I went to wash them in the tub and I think that letting them soak with some detergent at every wash helped increase the absorbancy. After they were all prepped, they were pretty soft and really easy to work with when I was doing different folds. They worked great with the Snappi and with pins.

A close up of an Unbleached Flat

I really enjoyed using the Swaddlebees Flats during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge. The were a great size for all the folds that I tried. I had been worried that they might not be big enough for an 18 month old boy, but they were plenty big enough to give me some flexibility with the different folds. I also loved the print colors and little man was really loved the elephants (little man is a big fan of elephants right now). Another thing that I really loved was how quickly they dried when I hung them outside! The Swaddlebees were absorbent and they worked well around the house or doubled up when we went to go run errands. I am so glad that I got the chance to use Swaddlebees flats for the Challenge! Swaddlebees flats definitely helped make this Challenge a success for me and I am looking forward to continuing to use them on little man and any future little ones! Thank you Swaddlebees!

Using a Swaddlebees Flat for a pad fold - so trim!

 

Interested in buying some Swaddlebees flats to use on your little one? They are perfect for newborn all the way through the potty learning stage! You can buy Swadlebees flats for $15.95 for a package of 6 directly from their website HERE. Which is your favorite color? Or do you prefer Unbleached?

You can also connect with Swaddlebees on Facebook!

Special thanks to Swaddlebees for sponsoring me with two dozen flats to use for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! 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 Swaddlebees for sponsoring me during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

Green Mama Blog Hop

Welcome to the 12th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

My goal is to have more and more people join each week! But that can't happen without your help. If you could please post the button on your blog, as well as in a post, that would be great! Thanks so much for your involvement! I want us 'Green Mamas' to befriend each other and be there for questions or support.

<a href="http://www.giveawaysandlife.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq300/sashica13/green-house-2-1.jpg" /></a>

~Lovely Hostesses~

And Then There Were 4...

Mommy Made Green

Greening Sam and Avery

The Little Hedgehog

~Featured Blog~

T-Rex Mom and Dad Tales

Each week, there will be a fifth, Featured Blog to be followed as well. To qualify to be the Featured Blog, you will need to participate in all of the guidelines. I will pick one at random from all qualifiers. I will email you the Monday before the Hop, if you are chosen.

Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will open each Tuesday night and will be open all week. It will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!