I love Oeko Popo! Review and Giveaway

You all know I'm a cloth diaper lover, for a variety of reasons.  I think they're cute.  I like that I don't have to buy them over and over and over just to throw them away.  I like that Stinky feels when he's pottied.  AND I like that they're WAY more breathable than disposable diapers!  Juliane, from Oeko Popo Diapers, has done an experiment to test just how the breathability compares!  Some of you will be surprised.  Check out her video!

Speaking of Oeko Popo, Juliane contacted me several months ago and asked if I'd like to review her diapers!  Um...yes?  I checked out her page and they were SO cute, and different than diapers I'd seen before, so of course, I agreed and she sent me this adorable versatility cover!

The Oeko Popo Versatility cover (Size 2 OS) can be used as a cover over fitteds, prefolds, flats, etc., OR it can be used with Oeko Popo's unique inserts to make it function as an AI0/AI2, OR with a pocket sleeve to make it a pocket!  This puppy is truly versatile!

On the left, you see the cover.  The pocket sleeve is in the middle (cinched down a bit for Stinky).  The insert is on the right.

I use the Oeko Popo Versatility diaper differently depending on what we're  doing that day.  Stinky's a heavy  wetter, and my favorite "insert" is a flat, pad-folded.  I LOVE that the Versatility is perfect for adequately covering his flat!  (That's what he's wearing as I type!)  Earlier today, He wore the same cover, with the pocket sleeve and insert.  It's really easy to stuff the sleeve!

Then just snap it into the cover, and you're good to go!  There is a snap at each corner of the sleeve, so it doesn't move a bit once it's in the diaper!

The pocket sleeve creates a double gusset!  Most of the time, when Stinky is...Stinky...I can just unsnap the sleeve from the cover and either insert a new sleeve, a new insert, or another type of insert!  It's great!  I love this feature.

These next couple pictures are a little different.  They're green.  That's right.  I liked the first Oeko Popo Versatility cover SO much, that I bought a second one!  It was just too cute!  The fabric is nice and thick and durable, but not so thick it's stiff or rigid!  Anyway, one feature I really like about the Oeko Popo Versatility cover is the snap pattern!  I've never seen anything quite like it.  Most of the snaps on the front of the diaper are "female" like you see with most diapers, but a few of them are "male."  (Obviously, then, the ones on the tabs are the opposites.)  This allows for a much more custom fit than most of the one size diapers I've tried!  I LOVE this!  The only thing I wish were different (about this whole diaper, honestly) is I wish it had 4 snaps on the tabs rather than 3, so the wings would droop just a tad less.  There's not much droop at all, but I guess I'm just sort of paranoid!

Even though the Versatility is the "extra wide" version of the Oeko Popo diaper, it fits Stinky GREAT through the crotch!  He's got room to spare, for sure, but the fabric is so soft and flexible it doesn't irritate him or bunch up!

People, the Oeko Popo Versatility Cover is my go-to diaper.  It is always the first on Stinky's booty out of the wash.  Sometimes it's with a flat, sometimes with just the insert (which snaps in too, by the way) or sometimes with the pocket sleeve and insert.  The Versatility is cute, durable, well-made, and virtually leak-proof, as long as you have enough absorbency for your child!  (Any diaper will leak if you don't have enough absorbency, though!)

If you have a baby in cloth, you need this diaper.  You definitely won't be disappointed!

The Oeko Popo shop is closed until March 8, but after that will be re-stocked and ready to go!  Be watching.  You'll be glad you did!

After all, what can be cuter than this:

Other than maybe this:

Are you dying to give Oeko Popo a try?  You should be!  In fact, Juliane from Oeko Popo would love to help you start your Oeko Popo stash!  One of my lucky readers will win a $25 Oeko Popo gift code!  Will it be you?  You can't win if you don't enter!  Use the rafflecopter form below.  When you win, you'll be able to take adorable pictures like this:

(Yep.  He's the baby.  Teaching him early.)

I was given one of these diaper and insert sets free in order to facilitate a review, but purchased the other.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are 100% my own!

AppleCheeks Reusable Diapers Review AND GIVEAWAY

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He's the apple of my eye.  He's the sunshine that warms my cheeks.  What better way to honor the joy he brings than by dressing his super sensitive bum in an AppleCheeks diaper?

The Scoop

You'll remember that at the end of May I participated in the Dirty Diaper Laundry Flats and Handwashing Challenge.  As much as I wanted to showcase five different brands of covers, I dropped the ball and ended up with just two cover sponsors--but because I took so long to send out my inquiries, the covers didn't come until well after the challenge had ended.  AppleCheeks was one of those covers.  Katie from AppleCheeks graciously agreed to send me a Little Bundle in my choice of colors to review!  I chose dark chocolate, since it's summer and I figured he'd be outside a lot.  (My second choice was lemon zest, which I love as well!)

The Good

Customer Service -- I don't typically comment on this because I'm pretty sure that with most companies, blog reviewers get some "special treatment."  With AppleCheeks, though, every correspondence, from the very beginning, has been nothing but upbeat, personal, and helpful.  Even the AppleCheeks facebook page has been nothing but positive!

The BIG pocket -- The AppleCheeks diaper is a great "envelope system."  I LOVE a pocket that unstuffs itself.  Now, I'm not sure whether AppleCheeks is officially considered a pocket or a cover.  It's called both.  It doesn't matter.  I primarily use it as a pocket.  The opening is BIG.  It's at the center of the diaper.  I was a little worried about the placement because I don't love touching poop, but the flat insert has washed out almost every time!

The absorbency -- I haven't had a single leak with AppleCheeks diapers.  Not one!  I've used it with a cotton flat instead of the included rayon from bamboo insert.  I've used the included insert.  I've used fitted underneath.  The included insert works the very best and it hold a LOT!  And, if you use the diaper as a pocket, the micro-fleece liner pulls every bit of moisture away from baby's bottom.  In fact, I actually have to feel the insert itself, on occasion, to be sure that the diaper is even wet!

The fit -- The AppleCheeks size 2 diaper is a GREAT fit for my 25 pound 16 month old boy!  I don't tighten it nearly as snugly as it can get.  There's tons of room for Stinky to grow!  Not only is there plenty of room for him to grow, but the diaper fits perfectly.  Often in a diaper that is roomy, there's lots of bulk.  Not so for the AppleCheeks, though!  It fits very trimly to his little booty.  There's plenty of stretch, too.

The color choices -- This might be a silly thing to be excited about, but I LOVE the colors of AppleCheeks diapers!  They're so vibrant.  I'd love one of every color!  AND there are two new adorable patterns!  I wish I'd been chosen as one of the bloggers to introduce those to you, but since I wasn't, I'll just tell you that they are adorable and you need them.

 

The Bad

(I hate this part of the review, by the way.  I don't like telling people what I don't like!)

The envelope system -- I mentioned it before as a "good."  I DO love this part of the diaper.  But on a (very) rare occasion, the insert hasn't agitated out of the diaper, and I've had to pull it out and rewash with the next load.  It's really not a huge deal, but since I love the diaper so much, I want to put it on him as soon as diapers are clean!  That's really my only complaint.

The swim diaper -- Because I don't have one.  I don't have a complaint about the AppleCheeks swim diaper, I just don't have one and that makes me sad. 

The Outcome

I refrain, for the most part, for saying words like, "this is my favorite diaper ever," on my blog.  I won't say that here, either, but what I WILL say is that this is by far ONE of my very favorites.  In fact, it's definitely in my top 5, somewhere near the top.  I'd been eying AppleCheeks for quite some time before I received this one for review, because every time I saw a picture of one I couldn't believe how adorable they are.  That's right, I like the look.  

I'm SO glad I was able to review a dark chocolate AppleCheeks Little Bundle!  The absorbency is great, the fit is great, and the price is relatively reasonable (about $20 a diaper).  Thank you, AppleCheeks, for the great product!  I highly, highly recommend AppleCheeks not only for the great products, but for the amazing customer service that comes along with them!

The Giveaway 

Yes, you read that right!  We're adding a giveaway!  Katie from AppleCheeks JUST authorized me to add a $25 AppleCheeks credit giveaway!  Thank you, Katie!

(Contest will end and a winner will be drawn Tuesday, July 26 at 11:59am EST.)

How to Enter:

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I received this product at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are my own.

GoGo Natural Review and Giveaway - Dinkle Dooz diaper!

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I am a pocket diaper lover.  Pockets and AIOs are my favorites.  I love the ease and convenience.  I love that I can "prep" them straight out of the dryer or off the line and when I am ready to use them, they're ready for me.  Unlike prefolds or flats, they're just one quick step when I am ready to use them.  They work like disposables!  I also love one size diapers.  These diapers are adjustable, typically fitting from about 8-35 pounds.  I like them because they're so versatile!  I only have one in diapers, so I don't have to worry about making sure it fits multiple children, but as Stinky grows, I can just adjust the dipes to fit him!  I love that.  (And if there are ever any more munchkins introduced into our family, they can wear the hand-me-downs this way!)

So, when Meredith from GoGo Natural asked me if I'd like to try a new OS diaper, I was all for it!  My experience has told me that most of the OS diapers are Pockets or AIOs, so I was thrilled with the prospect!  I didn't know what the diaper would be until I received it.  I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw it was a DinkleDooz diaper!  I'd been wanting to try one for a while, and when I opened it I couldn't wait to try it!

Somehow, I forgot to take pictures of the diaper before I used it.  (What was I thinking?!?) And it's dirty right now, so unless you'd like me to take a picture of what a soiled diaper looks like...well, you'll just have to go with the action shots this time.  

The DinkleDooz diaper is a one size pocket diaper with snap closure.  DinkleDooz decided that rather than making a huge variety of diapers right now, they want to focus on one type and do it well.  I think that's a great idea!  While I like variety, I also like the idea of perfecting one thing before moving on.  DinkleDooz is also made with super soft fabric.  It's not minky soft.  It's more like a silky cotton soft.  I can't explain it, but it is really soft!

Not only is the DinkleDooz diaper a OS diaper, but it comes with two inserts, a small and a large!  I think that's tremendous.  If I had a baby and a toddler, it would be really easy to swap out liners depending on who was wearing the diaper!  I don't, though.  You'll probably remember, though, that Stinky is a super soaker.  I automatically use both of the inserts every time.  It keeps him totally dry during the day this way!  AND DinkleDooz thought long and hard about the pocket.  They made it extra wide and included a flap to cover the insert so it won't pop out the top!

You can see that the fabric is stretched a little tight on Stinky's booty.  Even though this diaper keeps Stinky dry, I can't seem to figure out a good fit for his short, stocky body.  I like that the "wings" seem longer than a lot of the diapers I have, and that the back elastic holds tightly.  This is part of the non-leakage, I think.  What I am not sure I love is that the front panel (just at the snap area) is narrower than normal.  What I mean is that there isn't as much room side to side for the snaps.  So, when I snap the wings in, I have to snap them all the way to the middle to keep the top from gapping.  That's no big deal...I could overlap them if he were smaller around.  This would be fine, BUT his thighs are chunky.  So I have to snap the thigh snaps one snap out for them to even snap, and then they're still a little snug.

As you can see, fastening the diaper this way pulls the front down a little low and tugs on the snaps a bit.  (See what I mean about those thighs?!  Unfortunately, he gets them from his mommy.  Ugh!)

I wish the snap placement were just a little different.  I'd make the front panel slightly wider at the top and place the thigh snaps out a bit further if I could.  I'd guess Stinky's not the only baby with thunder thighs, and there are probably other mamas that will have to make snap adjustments on this diaper.

All in all, I really like the DinkleDooz diaper!  I love that it comes with two inserts.  It's really soft on the outside and very absorbent.  I love the pocket!  The overall fit, while a little difficult to adjust to Stinky's stocky body, is nice.  Stinky likes it, too!  (I can tell, because he "soils" it every time!)

You can buy DinkleDooz diapers for just $15.95 from GoGo Natural!  That's a great price for a great pocket diaper!  You'll be especially thrilled with the pocket itself!  I love the way it's made.

OR

You can win a DinkleDooz diaper from GoGo Natural right here on my blog!  (Contest will and a winner will be drawn May 31, 2011 at 11:59am EST.)

TO ENTER

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Visit DinkleDooz and tell me what color you'd pick if you won!

This product was given to me at no cost in order to facilitate a review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are my own.