SposoEasy Diaper

www.bluepenguin.biz

I’ve mentioned before that we use some cloth diapers and some disposables. If money grew on trees I would use nothing but the SposoEasy and skip the disposables all together. Made by Blue Penguin the Sposos are all-in-one diapers that you put on just like a disposable, no extra steps, no trying to get a squirming baby to be patient while you go through the steps of using separate pieces. Little Moxie is not known for her patience and these speed up the changing process over other cloth diapers immensely. They also keep her little behind from getting a rash because they breath so much more than disposables.

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These diapers are trim but absorbent. You know how many cloth diapers are pretty much huge? Well not these, they really aren't that much bigger than a disposable when they fit properly. If used a bit big then they are a little more bulky but they still blow the competition away. I think we’ve only had a leak like three times, and of course each time it could possibly (definitely) have been because I waited too long. No cloth diaper can absorb as much as a disposable and sometimes I just dropped the ball on changing often enough. If you want more absorbency you could use a doubler but I never do because I like the trimness.

We have found that we like the apix closure the best because they are slightly more adjustable than the snaps. The snaps were nice when Little Moxie went through the taking-her-diaper-off-every-chance-she-got stage because she couldn’t quite figure those out. Ooooh was she mad. I also don’t notice the red rubbing with the Sposos that she would get from some of her other covers. I hated to see little red rub patches, that can’t be comfortable. Lastly these are so easy to wash, in the right detergent of course. They have a little area where you tuck in the apix so that it doesn’t stick to everything else and then just throw them in the machine. In all honesty I try no to use cloth if I think she’s going to poo; I’m not a big fan of the toilet swishing. When she was 100% breast fed it was fine because it was okay to just throw it in the washer but with “real” poo you have to pre-wash… yuck. Props to all of you who can do it, but I try not to if at all possible.

We didn't get any size xs (I wish we did though) and the small didn't fit Little Moxie until about 6 or 8 weeks but following the size recommendations has worked for us very well. Oh I should also mention that these come in fab colors, which I suppose you can see by the pic, but still. White is a staple of course but the colors are nice for summer when really all they need to wear is a diaper around the house. Colors are also good with just a t-shirt or dress because they don’t “look” like a diaper so you can get away with wearing them out without looking like you forgot to get your kid dressed.

Check out the Blue Penguin website at www.bluepenguin.biz. You can also find these at some other cloth diapering websites like www.greenmountiandiapers.com (they also have a lot of great pics of these on babies) and see other reviews at www.diaperpin.com

Original Supermaze

www.hape-international.com

Here is another toy from Hape International that we absolutely love. For her one year birthday Little Moxie received this toy as a gift and it was certainly one of the very best things that she received. It will be used for many years as it is one of those things that they can always discover something new.

Unique maze
Who knows why kids like these things. Really if anyone has some great physiological insight I would love to hear it. All that really matters, I guess, is that they do like them. Beads on a wire that is bent and twisted… who’d have thought? This can entertain a kid for a long long time though. There are also many valuable things that the maze can teach a kid also. Cause and effect of course and the beads get pushed along and either have to go up or down or sideways. They fall and make noise so they can see what caused the noise to occur. They have to problem solve by figuring out how to get the beads to the other side, how to get their little hands in there to move the beads they want to get to and they get to check out why each set of beads is on it’s own track. This bead maze also has a few tracks where the beads are in a distinct pattern, i.e. blue-red-yellow-blue-red-yellow and cylinder-sphere-cube-cylinder-sphere-cube. As they grow the little ones can come to recognize patterns and you can discuss shapes with them as well as obviously colors. The maze has also served as something to push around the room and lift up and carry from one corner to the other (probably not what the makers intended but it seems to be fun.) It has also been a seat for her stuffed animals and a place to watch just about any other toy fall down in the middle of it. This toy will be around a long time as it is built so well. Some serious manipulation has been done to the wires and they haven’t budged. I’m not worried that they beads will come off or the wire will cause any harm. We really like this toy and will get tons of use out of it for years.

There must be a reason that these things are in so many pediatrician waiting rooms right? Why not have one at home!

Amazon has it here: Educo Original Supermaze

Nature’s Baby Organics Conditioner and Detangler

Last week I talked about the shampoo and I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the conditioner as well. As Little Moxie grows so does her hair (thank goodness right) and it is curly. Super cute, but pretty wild at times. When I ordered the shampoo I decided that it was also time for conditioner. It is also sooooo very dry here Go that her hair was starting to get that stringy look to it, not cute. Another great product find and I am so glad that we are taking care of her hair and making it healthier.

Love it!
So this is a conditioner and a detangler so it can be washed out or left in. Most nights we shampoo then condition and rinse. After bath time when we read stories we comb her hair and have noticed a dramatic change in texture. Before we used this we were tugging at her hair to get he knots out. I’m sure that wasn’t super fun and certainly not relaxing. The very first time we used it Daddy noticed the change. Now it is so easy to get the comb through and she loves loves loves to have her hair combed and brushed. It comes in the same scent as the shampoo, Vanilla-Tangerine (or Lavender-Chamomile) so it compliments the shampoo instead of competing with it. Even with using two products on her head the scent remains mild and pleasant, not overwhelming at all. As a detangler I like it just as much, really it’s a baby beauty product in my opinion. By the end of the day her hair is usually sticky and pretty crazy, so when I want it to look nice I rub a little on my hands and run it through her hair then either fluff it or comb it. The curls regain some oomph and it overall neatens her appearance. Naturally it also helps to get rid of the tangles. A little goes a long way too so I anticipate the 8oz bottle lasting several months. Like the shampoo, this product is rated a 2 on the Cosmetic Safety Database meaning that there is a low risk of hazards associated with its use.

You can purchase this directly from the Nature’s Baby Organics website or from Amazon: Nature's Baby Organics Conditioner & Detangler, Vanilla Tangerine, 16-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 2)