Cloth diaper review #4 Tots bots bamboozle

I have tried a lot of things for night time.  We have done fitteds and wool, but I just didn't like the fitteds I had.  The wool was great, I loved those.  So we were in disposables while we figured out the night time situation.

I saw these and thought I would give them a try. I am always up for trying new things as you know, and I love bamboo.
These only come in velcro and I'm not a huge fan of velcro but these have very strong velcro.  I don't really like how they just fold back on its self.  It seems like they get really bent.  They are a size 2 so I can use them on my 1 year old and they also fit my 3 year old well.  They also come in a size 1 that fit newborn to 6 lbs to 18 lbs.

They have a snap in insert and it snaps in the front which at first I didn't really like but its ok now.  On my three year old I have to fold it to the front and add a thirsties small hemp insert in underneath it for it to last all night.  So it comes in handy that it's in the front so I can double up the thickness.  

They have the rolled elastic and they fit very well, and hold everything in.  They are a little bit stretchy and I love that.  They aren't super bulky like most night time diapers have to be.  

Its super soft and I feel like it absorbs a ton.  I have never had it leak out #1 or #2 it holds it all in very very well.  I also love the colors they come in.  They are super cute, plus its soft.

I pair it up with just a cover. I need to get my wool back out since we moved.   I usually use nickis covers or thirsties duo wraps.  They fit fine inside of them.  The nickis are a tight fit on my 3 year old but the thirsties fit great.     I really really love these diapers for overnight and they have become a favorite.  

Why sprout?

What exactly is sprouting and what are the benefits of it?

Sprouting is when you germinate seeds.   When this germination happens it eats up the starch in the grain, and now the grain has more protein and fiber.  Sprouting the grain also increases the vitamins  and minerals in the grain.  They are 100 times more nutritious for you once they have sprouted.   Another benefit of sprouting the grain is that it lowers the raffinose carbohydrate which is more commonly known as the gas and bloating when you eat beans and other legumes.   

First I tried to sprout garbanzo beans and they sprouted great I put them on my salads and they have a sort of bland taste.  When they are on a salad though its perfect.  

Next I tried flax seed and I couldn't get it to sprout it was just slimy.  I read about trying to sprout it in a terra cotta plate, the one that goes under the pot.  I am going to try it again because there are so many benefits to eating those sprouted flax seeds.

I sprouted some raw almonds that I got from Green Smoothie Girl.  I only soaked them overnight and they expanded and that was good enough. 

I then dried them in a food dehydrator below 106 degrees.  Drying them at the lower temperature allows them to keep all of those sprouting nutrients.   I also love the pop they have after they have been sprouted and dried.  I love how they taste.  

Then I was able to freeze the ones we wouldn't be eating right away.  Since I got 15 lbs of them I froze 2.5 bags the other half bag I sprouted and ate.  I have yet to season them.  Robyn has a few recipes I want to try I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I have loved learning and trying new things in the sprouting world.  I am excited to try new seeds and grains.  Let me know if you have sprouted any and what was your experience with it.

Delicious pumpkin muffins

These pumpkin muffins are sooo delicious   My sister first gave me the recipe and I loved them.    I feel like they are a better alternative to other muffins.  My kids really like them especially when I make the baby muffin size.  My daughter will munch on them all day long, and that tells me something because she is a super picky eater. 

Here is the first part of the recipe  then you mix  I substitute 3/4 cup apple sauce in for some vegetable oil.  Its a little healthier.  

Then you add all of the dry ingredients.   I substitute 2 cups of whole wheat flour.

Then here is the final mixed product.

I spray the muffin tins really well so they are easy to get out.  It makes about 50 muffins.  I have made it into bread as well.  It just takes longer to cook.  I like to make muffins it helps me control the portions I am getting.  They are so good I eat a lot of them.  

  

Then you bake and enjoy, but watch out you don't eat all 50 in one day!

Here is the recipe:

4 1/2 c sugar 

1 1/2 c veg oil

6 eggs

1 cup water

1 large can pumpkin

5 1/2 c flour

2 1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ginger

3 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 tsp salt

You can do 3/4 cup apple sauce and 3/4 cup veg oil and then reduce the sugar by 1 cup.  Then you can replace as many cups of white flour with whole wheat flour to make them a little bit healthier.  Bake them at 350 for 15 min or until they are crusty brown on top.  

  

Norwex cloth vs my microfiber chair

I have really found that I like the norwex envirocloth.  Right now I mostly use it for cleaning the kitchen up.  I used to have dishcloths that I would wipe the counters down with and they just really started to stink and it was really bad.  I was looking for something new.  So I got these cloths and I have really loved them. They don't stink as long as they are hung to air dry. I was told that they would clean microfiber chairs. 

 I have these chairs in the kitchen and boy do they get spots like crazy.  I have kids so they are always going to have spots.  I decided to try it out.  I just used the envirocloth and water...... that's it.    

Here are the results

I know pretty cool huh?  I know there are still spots but I only did it once and it was pretty fast I didn't scrub super well.  So I can imagine how much better it would be if I let it dry and tried again. I bet they would all come out.  

I have been pleasantly surprised  with norwex products.  I have a few of the other products that I will start using as well.   I mean who really likes cleaning so anything to help is great.  

Why I drink lemon water

We had a girls day with my sisters and mom recently and my sister brought her lemon water.  She has lost a lot of weight with portion control and drinking lemon water.   This got us talking about the benefits of lemon water.  My mom had said that someone she knows I don't remember who it was.   Was diagnosed with cancer of some sort and their dr said if they drank the juice of 1 lemon a day it would heal it. I am thinking it was liver cancer.  That person did drink the lemon juice and was healed.  I was amazed.
I had known that lemon was good for fighting off skin cancer. I had learned this after I had my skin cancer removed.  I try to throw a 1/4 of a whole lemon, skin and all in my smoothies everyday.

There are also a lot of other benefits of drinking lemon water daily.

• It helps with your joints, if you suffer from arthritis it can help alleviate that pain.
• It will aid with better digestion the acid in lemon water interacts with the enzymes in our body and stimulates the secretion of gastric juices that help digest your food better.
• It helps your liver produce more enzymes to aid in the digestion process
• It helps your liver release the toxins that it filters out of your body.
• It helps fight off respiratory infections.  I remember when I was on my mission in Chile people would recommend drinking warm lemon water with a little bit of honey.  It always worked and took the pain away from a sore throat.  
• It helps make your bowel movements regular.
• It boosts your metabolism
• It reduces depression and anxiety because it contains potassium.  
• It helps cleanse your blood and regulate your blood pressure
• It helps your body keep a higher PH lever which in turn helps you fight off infections and diseases.
• It helps your skin,  Lemons contain vitamin C.  It can aid with wrinkles and acne
• It can help relieve heart burn.  I have never really had this so I can't attest to this one.  
• It helps with kidney stones it will dissolve them.  I wish I had known this when I had gallstones because it helps with those and other calcium deposits as well. 
• It will help you lose weight believe it or not.  It can suppress your hunger cravings.  This is what I  need it for.  
• It can help with fighting off gingivitis.  It is recommended that you drink it diluted or that you rinse your mouth after because it can ruin the enamel on your teeth.  
• It helps with cancer--- here is why   cancer cannot thrive in a alkaline rich place and lemons are known to boost the ph level.  
• Lemon juice helps replace the body salt especially after a work out.  
• It helps boost energy and mood levels.  Even the scent of lemon has been found to reduce stress levels.  

When I researched a little bit more I am amazed at all of the things that lemon water can help you with.  I already try to drink 80+ oz of water a day.  I have started to add in some freshly squeezed lemon juice.  At first it was hard to drink because it was so sour.  I then started to dilute it more and then it wasn't bad at all.  I dilute the juice from 1 whole lemon into 2  - 32 oz nalgene water bottles and I drink those everyday.   I have just started this recently so I can't say too much about it because I haven't seen any of the benefits of it yet.  I will continue to drink it and when I see those benefits I will tell you guys about it.  

"Mom will you spray cake on my bum?"

My three year old is hilarious and he is always saying or doing funny things that make me laugh.   Since we cloth diaper we can't use the typical desitin for diaper rashes.  It will ruin the cloth diapers.  So I had used coconut oil and it just didn't do the job fast enough.   We had tried a few other cloth friendly kinds and it just wasn't working very well in my opinion.   ( Yes I  know my three year old should be potty trained but he has no interest or desire to do it.  I don't want to fight it so I will just wait until he is ready.   Plus I use cloth diapers so its not like I'm wasting money on his diapers :) I am trying to hint at it all the time )

Then we found this awesome product from our local cloth diaper store.  Its a CJ butter product and they are awesome.   This scent smells like warm vanilla cake,  they have quite a few different scents but this one is so good I don't know if I will ever try another one.  Its in a small spray bottle so you can just squirt it on their sore little bum.  I hated that part about desitin, you had to put it on your finger and then your finger was all desitiny.  If that is a word.    It works wonderful and smells delicious.   So whenever my 3 year old gets a rash he asks me "Will you spray cake on my bum?"   meaning this spray.   He has to point and tell you where it hurts.  It works very well.  

Before I found this I would just use a disposable diaper and desitin until the rash was gone.  Then I heard that desitin hurt and stung their already hurting bum.  It all made sense that they would cry when I put it on.  So I decided I didn't want to use it anymore.  So I found this just in time, and have loved using it.  I recommend it for anyone cloth diaper user or not.  

Some of my favorite baby essentials

So I have a few things that I have found I love having with babies.  I thought I would share a few of them.

First thing is the bamboo swaddle blankets.  I started out using the cotton muslin ones and they were great and super cute.   Then I discovered the bamboo ones and WOW.... they are so incredibly soft.  I ended up selling off most of my cotton ones for bamboo.  They do tend to get snagged a little bit easier but they are worth it.  My son loves them too.  He will find his and cuddle with it.
They are great nursing covers as well because they are light weight but yet are large enough to cover what I need covered.   I always have one with me too so I ditched my nursing cover.
I have found that they are so small to fit in my diaper bag or when I am carrying my baby in the pack it will fit in so they can lay down on my chest as well.  Its not a bulky blanket.  I love everything about these bamboo swaddlers, especially that farm print.  Isn't it adorable?

The second item is the mam binkis I know each kid is different and likes different binkis if they like them at all.  I have used the mam ones with both of my sons and I love them.  My oldest sucked her thumb, so no binkis there.  They have a specific glow in the dark version and that is the only one I will buy now if I need to replace some.  They really do glow in the dark ALL night long.   They are bright enough the baby can find them and put it back in.  I can find it easily in their crib when I go in and feed them.  These have saved quite a few nights for me.  When I have lost all of them I can search for them when its dark and find them.  Whoever thought of making them glow in the dark was a genius.  I also like how they are simple. They don't have the ring on the outside nub part because when my daughter did use a binki she would always play with that and end up pulling it out.

Last but not least I have loved using the leather slippers/mocasins.  I had some with my daughter and I thought they were so cute.  It is hard enough for kids to learn to walk, I figured we don't need to add clumpy shoes to the mix.  I loved how these slippers protected her feet and helped her walk.  I felt like these were pretty baby proof, meaning they cant pull them off too quickly.  I have used them until they are walking outside then I have some stride right rubber soled shoes that are super flexible.   I don't want these to get all ruined out on the concrete. I also like them for when they are little babies because my baby socks always fall off.  These help keep them on and keep their feet warm.   They are made of leather so they last a long long time, unless you are out there crawling on the concrete.  I have used them for all three of my kids and they are great.

Cloth diaper review #3 Nickis Bamboo AIO

Nicki's diapers Bamboo All in One

This diaper has been wonderful for us.  After I decided that pocket diapers just weren't for us.  I hated stuffing them.  So I found these and tried them.  They had a bunch of cute prints and they were reasonably priced.  

They are bamboo so when you first get them they are so soft you just have to rub your face on them.  Of course they are brand new clean so you feel ok doing that.  They have a snap in soaker so they really aren't an All in one because you have a part that comes out. 

They absorb quite a bit and they feel like they would be super soft for baby.  

After using them for a few weeks they began to get a little bit stiff because I don't dry my diapers.  They hang dry so they get that stiff feeling.  I started to throw them in the dryer after they were dry for 2-3 minutes to soften them up.   They wash off pretty easily but its hard to get in the  leg folds.  I also found that they stain pretty easily if I didn't rinse it off pretty quickly after being dirty.  Nothing that a little bleach and sun won't fix though. 

The thing with these is that they didn't have encased elastic legs so they were "softer" on their thighs.   I didn't like to have to roll the bamboo in and make sure they were all tucked in so it wouldn't leak.  Call me lazy, I call it daddy proofing it.   They are easy one step to put on.  I sewed the elastic or encased it so we didn't have to roll.  It made them  even better.  It did take me a few tries to get it right my first two didn't turn out very well.  The bamboo on some parts shows so they leak.  They were my worst condition ones though so they are the specific poop diapers.  When I know they are going to poop I make sure to use these experiment diapers on them.  

They began to fit my son about 3-4 months old they were a little bulky for him then. but as you have read before this is the ammonia stinky baby.  So I quickly found out that these don't work for him.  I switched to flats and prefolds.  I did use them on my 2 year old still.  He began to outgrow them a few month before he turned 3.  He was roughly 30 lbs  they just didn't fit right and were not absorbent enough for him when he was that old.   

This picture is of my two boys matching one of my favorite prints in this brand and style of diaper.  Aren't they so cute?!? 

 I have one cubby in my cloth diapers stash full of these diapers because even though neither of my cloth babies wear these right now I love them too much to sell them.  I have high hopes that they will work on my next baby.