Poopsy Daisy

When I started with cloth nappies 8 years ago when Miss Sunshine was a couple of weeks old, I remember wishing South Africa had the wide range of WAHM (work at home mom) brands that the US had.

Well the cloth community in SA has grown hugely since then and now we do have some awesome brands available locally! One of my favourite brands is Poopsy Daisy.

Charnelle, the creative brain behind this brand.. She is a mamma to 4 and a homeschooler too, so you can understand my excitement right?!

Not only is she a mamma after my own heart but her products at Poopsy Daisy are of excellent quality and workmanship. The fleece night nappy we received was our work horse in our stash and always reliable as a night time option.

This was the beloved Poopsy we received, it's now been passed on to this cutie in the pic. Charnelle no longer makes these but has Windpro Night nappies that I hear are bomb proof! 

Sweetpea fed at least twice at night and went through stages were her output would be considered "heavy wetter", so this night time solution was put through the test.

What we liked about the Poopsy Night Fleece Nappy

• It never let us down as a night time solution, it could hold 8 hours and not leak and also wouldn't leave Sweetpea with a clammy toosh. That was with the 3 inserts it came with. As she got older I added a small prefold in for night time.
• The inserts in my case weren't snap ons so I could choose to have the bamboo side face her bum during the day (natural fabric option against skin) and then the fleece side against her at night giving the stay dry feel.
• Wash after wash  and not one stitch came undone, shrinkage or stretched elastics never happened with this one.
• The fleece does pill after some use but that is the nature of the fabric so expect that to happen.
• Along our cloth journey with 3 babies, I found that I really enjoyed a fold over rise and this nappy has one. Although the design of the Poopsy Daisy nappy has changed to a slimmer cut, I still found this one to be snug and I used the fold over rise on and off for quite a while. It's not just limited to younger babies, as they grow and get taller and slimmer I did find I used the fold over rise again.
• On its full rise setting it will last till potty training. Sweetpea day trained just before 2 and this nappy still had quite a bit of "give" left.

• 

  Another great option for night are hemp nappies with a fleece cover.  These are the fitteds (with and without snaps) and a winged prefold (top right corner)

The different prints and snap colour combos are so gorgeous. Did I mention I have a thing for foxes?

This has a snap in insert but as you can see the snaps aren't exposed on the back so no discomfort for baby when they lie down.

The snap placement on this nappy is awesome. I never had bunching between snaps (I'm not OCD, I promise!) and found that I used the foldover rise on occassion with Sweetpea at her toddler stage too as she slimmed out after a growth spurt so even a handy feature at the end stages of our nappy journey. I will be introducing my new niece at the end of the post but this is Squish in her Poopsy Daisy newborn fitteds. They have a cord snap too that can snap down so the fabric doesn't chafe the cord stump.

This nappy can go coverless if you have a light to medium wetter or can be used with a fleece soaker/longies, wool cover or PUL cover for heavy wetters.

Poopsy Daisy Longies are also available.

Velour nappies.

Squish in her "Dragon scales" side snapping SIO. She was 7 weeks old and 4.8kgs on the smallest rise setting.

Poopsy Daisy stocks:

• Contoured prefolds and prefolds
• Hemp fitteds
• Hybrid fitteds
• SIO
• Pants or loones
• Fleece night nappies
• Mama Cloth (cloth menstrual pads for ladies and girls)

Quite excited about these!

Squish

So let me introduce you to the new member of the family. This is Squish and she will occassionally model some goodies and test out products for the blog/vlog. Ain't she cute?!

For those who don't know, I'm the oldest of 2 children and this cutie belongs to my baby brother.

Squishy right?!

I can't say enough about the workmanship of these nappies. Wash after wash and from baby to toddler to the next baby and it's still going. Every stash needs a Poopsy.

You can find them on Facebook and online.

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Snappy Nappy Review

We received a Snappy Nappy to test out by Tiny Hiney…

We have used this nappy for a year and a half and its a definite in my books especially for new comers to cloth nappies. Let me tell you why:

• It's considered an All in Two system which means the inserts can come apart from the cover. This is great for new comers to cloth as it's easy to use. The inserts just snap in and its ready to go once the size in the front has been adjusted to fit your babe.
• If the insert gets soiled and the cover is fine, you just clip the dirty one out, throw in your nappy pail and add new insert, tada! Easy as 1 2 3!
• As the inserts are seperate they can be tumble dried seperately so no risk of affecting the PUL cover which is great for winter rainfall areas like ours.
• It's a good option if your baby goes to daycare or has a nanny during the day because of the ease of use and it's daddy proof!
• Takes up less space in the nappy bag as you pack one cover and a few extra inserts.

1 day time large insert at 14 kgs and 27 months.

No gaps around the leg and snug fit with 1 insert

With one insert

• We use 1 insert during the day and it was sufficient for 2 hours for Sweetpea. At night we added the night booster which clips in first to the cover and then has snaps on so that the day cover (which has microfleece on top to keep baby feeling dry), is clipped onto that. It doesn't move around inside the cover/shell because of the interior snaps on the cover.

• I prefer not to have Sweetpea's skin exposed to the PUL for long periods of time so although we used this nappy for night time with great success I eventually was using the inserts in different nappy options for night time ( like inside a fitted for an extra boost) and then used it during the day with either the day insert or the cover with another nappy = Versatile nappy

2 large size inserts.

2 inserts day time and night time inserts snapped in cover.

2 large size inserts clipped in this cover. 14 kgs and 27 months.

2 inserts side view. Even with double stuffing it isn't creating gaps at the leg that could cause leaking.

2 inserts, I think it is still pretty trim considering it is used as a night time option. 

All rise settings unsnapped and on the last 2 snap settings on the  waist tabs.  This was  around 14 kgs and at 27 months. she is already day time potty trained and only using a nappy at night time.

Colour options

• The covers come in 4 colour options and have double gussets on the inside which is great for exclusively breastfed babies and their runny poop!
• This cover is undergoing some changes so a version 2 will be out soon.
• This is a really reasonably priced option and for what you get it's worth it.
• The cover has 4 size settings on the rise and the stomach tabs have cross over snaps so should fit a wider range of sizes.
• Inserts come in 3 sizes too.
• Inserts can be used in Best Bottom and Butons covers and vice versa.
• It is a durable option and could last a few children. Our sets were used daily and have now been passed onto another little one and it's still in good condition.
• I did find that the microfleece topped insert (day insert) tended to stain easier than some of my other inserts but it always responded well to a few hours in the sun.

Small - yellow, Medium - teal, Large - purple

You can find them and many other cloth related products over at:

TINY HINEY

Eco nappy solutions trainers!

This is my Little Man... We had our two precious girls before he came so understandably, we didn't know much about boys! We kept hearing "they take longer than girls to do EVERYTHING!". We weren't really bothered because we believe they each do everything on their own time. So imagine our surprise when he walked before our girls did and was running around at his first birthday! 

Then came potty training... I didn't like this part so much with my girls so was super excited when Little Man trained in 2 days! We hoping Sweetpea will finalize her EC journey this spring too but for now I've decided to show you what we've been using in the meantime and what I used for the 2 days with Little Man.

Little man was sent these cutie frog trainers by ECO NAPPY SOLUTIONS when he trained. 

2 years and 3 months and 14kg.

What we like about these trainers:

• They are thinner than most trainers available so seem more like regular underwear which is less confusing for the toddler.
• I liked that it didn't have this thick absorbent part in the crotch area so Little Man could tell when he had a nappy on versus his trainer.
• This trainer needs to be changed immediately after it's wet so they start to associate wetness with these undies and is also helpful for parents to time potty oppurtunities.
• The elastic around the leg and thigh is very comfy and never left a mark on Little Man like some others did.
• The outer is made of 100% cotton, inner linning 85% cotton 15% polyester and the centre panel and bum area has a TPU waterproof section.
• They come in 6 sizes so really easy to find the perfect fit for your toddler or baby.

Still able to do all the stretching and climbing most boys do!

Elimination Communication (EC) and Eco Nappy Solutions Trainers.

6 months wearing a size small trainer.

We used a smaller size for Sweetpea in the summer that really helped me learn her EC cues. By having the trainer on while she sat on my lap or on a mat while we played we were able to notice her body language just before she would wet them. Of course you can use a regular thin flat that's Snappied on to do that but these trainers are so much cuter. I had a few friends who thought they were so adorable they bought them to go over their babies nappies and to match their little dresses or tops!

An edible print for the girls...

And one for the boys

Check out their page for more prints and prices. They also have Bamboo Pull Up nappies that are great to introduce when your child is getting used to pulling his or her underwear up and down.

LOVE this print!!

ECO NAPPY SOLUTIONS
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FLUFFY FRIDAY! Moon.Me Nappy

Ok so when you start thinking cloth as a newbie, night time diapering can be quite daunting. Well I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be! Let me introduce you to Moon.Me nappies...

There are 3 different insert options:

1. The first one in the pic is the 3 layer micro fibre insert with 1 layer Bamboo at the top
2. 3 layer Bamboo insert (middle one in pic above)
3. 3 layer micro fibre insert

Now I'm not the biggest fan of micro fibre because its something unnatural against babies skin but having said that they do work and do absorb and work especially well when combined with natural fibres which in this case is bamboo.

What we like about Moon.Me:

• Each nappy you buy comes with a 3 layer bamboo insert and a 3 layer micro fibre insert which I think is awesome. Most other brands other than Cherub Tree come with just one insert.
• The bamboo is softer than any other bamboo insert I've tried and has stayed that way wash after wash after wash! 
• The bamboo insert  is super absorbent but really trim so at night when I use all 3 layers in Sweetpea's nappy it really isn't bulky.
• The PUL has just the right amount of stretch to allow you to use all the snap combinations comfortably but still keeping the trim look (NOTE: all the pics taken of Sweetpea in the Moon.Me have all 3 layers in)
• The snaps are of excellent quality and so far Sweetpea hasn't been able to open this nappy like she has with her Babyland and Alva nappies (which are a similar make to Moon.Me)
• It's 3 layers of snaps on the rise (which adjust the size) and has crossover snaps too for a better fit on small waisted babies or young infants.
• I haven't tried this nappy on a very young baby and would be interested to see the fit as we really enjoy these and will definitely get more in the future (should we need more nappies!)
• I find this PUL to be of excellent quality and you can see the snaps on the rise won't eventually fall through the fabric with time.

• The fit around the leg is perfect and we are yet to have a leak in this nappy, day or night and at the moment it's our "go too night nappy" especially since we received it. 
• The elastic on the back is wide enough to make stuffing of the pocket easier for mamma's with big hands or daddies who help with laundry but yet still keeps in all type's of number 2's! 
• It's a really easy nappy to use so great for daddies, grannies, caregivers and for sending to creché.
• We like to use it during the day with the 3 layer micro fiber insert stuffed in the pocket and the bamboo insert on top of the pocket so only natural fibre's are touching Sweetpea's bum.
• At night if she hasn't used the potty before bed and has had a lot to drink at bedtime then I put all 3 inserts in the pocket and top it with a bamboo fleece liner.

Right so I think I covered all the nitty gritty of this nappy but you all know how I crush over a gorgeous  fluffy butt and let me just say that this company has some of the nicest prints available in SA! 

Esme at Mulberry Moon is a mama of 3 who uses these nappies herself. She is really lovely and can assist any mother new to cloth. Their website has loads of useful info and personal tips of how to use Moon.Me's, washing, stripping (if you should need too) and really good package prices and offers. 

For mamma's considering Baltic Amber and Hazelwood teething necklaces you can actually order it with your nappies from this site!

Their prices are really reasonable and an excellent investment!

MULBERRY MOON

FLUFFY FRIDAY! Bio Baba Review!

So over the summer months we tested out the new OSFA bio baba nappy. Now when we started our journey in cloth 5 years ago with Miss Sunshine, Mr MovieMaker and I went to the "Natural and Organic Fair" here in Cape Town. We left with our 2 first cloth purchases namely Bio Baba and the Mother Nature  Fitted. Then it was a sized nappy and we bought the medium which lasted our chunky baby from 3 months till 1 year so all in all a great fit I think.

This one differs quite a bit from that first purchase we made into the wonderful world of cloth!

Let me tell you how:

• The size runs larger on this one. This is their OSFA (One Size Fits All) and even on its smallest setting it was quite large. Bio Baba have since added another row of snaps in the front and I think this would make a HUGE difference!  Don't you just love a company that listens to mothers needs and alters their products to suit them, awesome!
• The outer fabric is much more durable now! This is our "go outside, play in the mud, bum shuffle around the dirt and be a curious baby nappy!" You know those pics you always see with the puppy chasing the baby and grabbing it's disposable? Well I think this nappy would survive that!

So what's stayed the same as the original:

• It's still made of hemp and therefore super absorbent and soft. Cotton on occasion can become hard when wet but hemp doesn't have those properties.
• It still has velcro tabs with strips to attach them too when you take nappy off and wash
• It only has natural fibres near your baby's bum so no synthetics rubbing up against them and making them hot!
• It's still a versatile nappy in that if you remove the inner pad it can be used as a swim nappy too.
• They are locally made and use small underprivileged companies in Lotus River, Mitchell's Plain and Athlone for manufacturing and this is all within 10 kms of Bio-Babas head office therefore not having a large carbon footprint.

All in all I like this nappy and have used them on all my babies, the only thing I would perhaps add is to roll the seams in at the leg and top stitch it. I occasionally found that the pants was slightly damp on the inside of the leg (having said that I found this to only happen with Miss Sunshine who was a heavy wetter and not with Little Man and Sweetpea).

You can check their site out here for a pictorial on fitting instructions where they show the different ways to use their booster pad to cloth a boy or girl.

They also make a great Organic Soak with all natural ingredients that I love to use on my flats when I do occasionally soak. It's great to disinfect and smells wonderful! 

You can check them out at:

BIO BABA