Give it away Friday - Dippee Dypees

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I had a misconception about prefolds.  I thought they were all alike.  I thought they were all pretty much squares or rectangles of various sizes, and that you could either fold them into thirds and lay them in your cover or somehow wrangle them around your wiggling baby's chubby belly and try to pin them or clip them or super glue them (please don't anyone actually try that!) into place before strapping on a cover.  Then I found Dippee Dypees.

Renee, the mama behind Dippee Dypees, has 4 children of her own.  She tried cloth (unsuccessfully) with #1, used sposies with #2 and #3, and when #4 came along with allergies to synthetic materials, decided to go back to cloth.  Because of the synthetic fiber issues, Renee discovered that bamboo was the best solution for her little princess, but she found that bamboo diapers tended to be expensive.  Thus, Renee began to make her own diapers, and Dippee Dypees was born!

There are several items showcased on the Dippee Dypees facebook page, including wipes, other types of diapers, etc, but I was sent a prefold to review and I am SO glad!

(The Dippee Dypee prefold, folded)

(The Dippee Dypee prefold, unfolded)

Now, I'll admit I was a little confused about the shape at first.  I mean, I could tell how it was supposed to go (obviously), but I wasn't sure this was going to work as well as a "regular" prefold at containing Stinky's messes.  I've mentioned several times that his little tummy is...volatile...and when he's off his tummy medication, things can get pretty nasty.  I figured that, unlike the way I fold a traditional prefold, this thing would leak everywhere!  I couldn't have been more wrong!  This little gem hugs Stinky's little booty really nicely, and holds so much better than a traditional prefold!

Somewhere I have a Snappi, but I tend to just fold my prefolds into thirds, fan open the back, and lay them in a cover.  I LOVE the wings on these prefolds, though!  I love how easy it is to pin them on with just one pin.  I love how easily the pin glides through the fabric.  I love that the diaper is trim through the crotch compared to a pocket or AIO, like a prefold, but really fits more like a pocket or AIO.

I really love how trim the prefold is!  I suppose this depends, somewhat, on what type of cover you use.  I use mostly pul covers, and it is probably trimmer than a disposable diaper!

What does Stinky think about Dippee Dypees?

He's sad because he only has one!  I'm sad about that too!  The only thing I don't love about Dippee Dypees is that I don't have at least a dozen!  It's rare that I find a diaper where I have no critiques.  Thank you, Dippee Dypees, for being among the select few!

You can visit Dippee Dypees on facebook to see all of the available prints, colors, and styles.  There are a lot!  There's a Dippee Dypee Etsy shop as well, but it currently only has a few items listed.  I think you'll have more luck checking out the facebook page!  Because one of the issues Renee had with cloth diapers was the cost, you'll find hers to be very reasonably priced!  

You can also win a Dippee Dypees prefold right here!  One lucky reader will win a prefold in their choice of gender, but Renee's choice of fabric.  (She'll make a great choice.  She chose ours!)  The winner will be responsible for paying $2 shipping.  (Contest will end and a winner will be drawn Tuesday, May 17 at 11:59am EST.)

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

Labor with this guy was a SNAP(PI)!

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Stinky wasn't due for 3 more weeks, but when I woke up that Thursday morning, a year ago today, I knew I was in the early stages of labor!  I had a busy busy day ahead of me, with meeting I COULDN'T miss!  I had an Early Intervention meeting for Bugsy in the morning, a full day of work, and then "Getting ready for Kindergarten" with Little Lou in the evening.  I was booked tight!  The contractions were constant and consistent all day long...never more than 8 minutes from the time I woke up in the morning, through the meeting, 8 hours with a dozen 4-year-olds, and the pre-k program at the library.  I even called my hubby on the way to the library to tell him that AFTER the program I'd be going to the hospital, so I'd give him a call and he could meet me there.  (I'm a planner.)  But labor was a snap!  Once we were at the hospital, things got a little willy-nilly.  An overnight stay, stopped labor, manually broken water, and pitocin drip later, Stinky came quietly into the world the next afternoon.

Did I say it was a snap?  I meant SNAPPI!  That's right.  Babies are tiny when they are first born, so we'll start with something small.

When I found out I'd be receiving a Snappi to review (and one to give away) I couldn't wait!   I was using nothing but covers and pre-folds at the time and though I'd heard of Snappis and contemplated buying one (or more) I hadn't yet.  My pre-folds were working just fine folded into thirds and laid in the covers.

When my Snappi came, I wasn't sure what to do with it.  Thankfully, they come with instructions, or I would have been at a loss!  Do you know what I discovered the very first time I used the little thing?  I like the way it helps to fan out the backside of the diaper!  I had never thought to do that before.  I found that I like the way that works! 

The Snappi works well and does exactly what it's supposed to do...hold the diaper as a pin would.  Unfortunately, most of my pre-folds are older ones with a tight weave, so it's harder to use the Snappi than it would be with a loose weave diaper.  I can still get them to go on most of my diapers, though!  I love the way it holds "stuff" in!

What don't I like about the Snappi?  I'm not good at it, so I'm a little slow.  My one year old is impatient.  He screams at me and crawls away when I try to fasten him into a diaper!  Not a design flaw, not a product issue...this mommy just needs more practice!

All in all, I'd recommend you get at least one Snappi if you're using ANY sort of diapers that don't have either velcro or snaps!

You can buy a Snappi at just about any cloth diaper retailer for about $4, or you can win one right here! 

(Contest will end and winner will be drawn March 8, 2011 at 11:59am EST)

Mandatory Entry:

(This counts as 1 entry)

Tell Stinky Happy Birthday

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4.  If you earned an extra entry into this weekend's party by commenting on my post on Tuesday, you may use it here...but you might want to wait until ALL the giveaways are posted before you decide!  Just say, "I want an Oompa Loompa NOW!" if you want to use your extra entry!