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

Noonoo Pie Tie...

BENEFITS of Babywearing: 

• Babies that are worn are documented to cry 50% less than those that aren't
• They are calmer and spend more time in a state of "quiet alertness". So this allows them to focus on their surroundings and learn as they watch. If it becomes to much they can cuddle up to mom's chest and rest.
• Babies that are worn are close to mom's heart, they hear this for 9 months so it becomes their comfort, when they arrive in this world there is a lot to get used too. Lights, noise, lots of voices and this gives them security and comfort.
• They are also much closer to your voice so are able to hear the tones better and clearer making it easier for them to learn. They are also able to watch mom's face and expressions.
• It allows you to carry on with household chores, take care of other siblings, take the dog for a walk, go grocery shopping or just a hike!

WHY we love the Noonoo Pie Tie?

• It's mostly cotton so still breathable and comfortable in the summer and warm in the winter.
• It has just the right amount of stretch so easy to get baby in and out!
• The stretch also allows for easy breastfeeding as you can adjust baby to a lower position to feed and then just bounce them back up slightly and tighten it again should you need to.
• I love the tapered edges as you don't have this huge amount of fabric hanging over you legs as you walk.
• The wrap allows for even distribution over your shoulders and fans over your back which really prevents back ache, neck pains and shoulder strain, really it's much more comfortable than just carrying your babies in your arms!

• There are no belts or buckles that can rub against you skin or baby and cause pain or irritation. (Note: there are many carriers that do have buckles but the good ones don't have it in a position to inflict pain).
• It allows correct posture for baby and you. The fabric is wide enough to spread between the babies legs up till behind the knees giving baby good support
• This wrap is extremely useful with preemies needing skin on skin (or all newborns) as you can wear this without a shirt or top and it can cover all your new baby wobbly bits and essentials for around the house and hospital.
• it's great for moms with multiples and can be used with 2 babies at a time.

• It's  wonderful to use while preggy to ease discomfort of a growing belly and can help sooth contractions too.

It looks difficult or confusing to put on but once you have done it a few times it becomes something you master really quickly!

There are a few different holds that you can check out HERE.

We LOOOOOVE our Noonoo Pie Tie! Having 4 children and buying heaps of stuff to try with them I have really come to the simple things that really matter and that you both enjoy to use. My recommendations when Mamma's ask "what would you say I need?".  It's easy, a stretchy wrap, cloth diapers, organic baby bodycare products and a lovely large muslin cloth, TADA that's all!

Rolls up easily and fit's beautifully in a nappy bag...

Noonoo Pie Tie

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

Toddle Pod carrier

My love for baby wearing sometimes goes beyond words. It's hard to explain unless you've worn your baby and had them close, they can feel your heartbeat and you can feel theirs, it's an awesome feeling and there are so many benefits to wearing your baby that I won't get into now but you can check it out here and here.

We received the Pod Baby Carrier 5 months ago to review. In those 5 months a lot happened, I got very ill and had to stop breastfeeding ( even better reason to carry Sweetpea), all 4 my munchies got measles (good reason to carry Sweetpea), we started packing for our big move to the farm ( another reason to carry Sweetpea), we arrived, unpacked and got back into schooling and started our work on the farm (yet again another good reason to carry our Sweetpea). So not only was my baby close to me which helped me get things done, she also took well to all these changes for that exact reason, SHE WAS CLOSE TO ME...

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THE TODDLE POD CARRIER:

Happy mommy, happy baby!

It has a wide, padded belt that goes around the waist and back really comfortably.

This carrier has super wide straps that don't cut into your shoulders or back at all, the one I received had 2 toned straps so its easy to see when you put it on if it's twisting, small detail that makes a huge difference!

2 toned fabric strap

They've added a large pocket in the front, great for a quick walk or run to the shops so you can put money, keys, teether and paci in and your hands are free. It's a generous size but yet it doesn't make the carrier bulky at all. (PLEASE mommies and daddies, don't use this to store your phone, not a good idea to have radiation so close to their kidney's).

You can see the safety strap going over the clip.

One of my favourite features is the safety stud added over the clip because as luck would have it our clip snapped and this stud kept all 10kgs of baby in and safe! This is a must for me now!

Here you can actually see the broken clip and how the strap contained her, pretty awesome if you ask me!
(P.S. they do supply spare buckles if  you need them)

Neat little bundle

Another pretty cool  feature are these elastic bands that contain the extra length of strap and keep them contained so they wont get stuck in the buckles as you put it on.  It  makes it that more user friendly and neat.

It's easy and quick to fold up and isn't bulky, which for this mamma is a big plus as our nappy bag already has cloth diapers in so a huge bulky carrier wouldn't do but this one passed the test!

Easy fit!

This is the Deluxe Toddle Pod so it has a zippered extension so you could happily carry your 4 year old in this carrier!

We've used this carrier on both back and front but it can be used as a hip carrier too.

This little guy is 9 months and as you can see it works really great 

All in all this carrier is a really awesome buy, worth every cent you pay as it is so flexible and easy to use. Its important to note that they come in 2 sizes so make sure to order the right fit, ours was slightly to large but was still one of my favourite carriers.

if you didn't see our review on their wrap you can find it here

Check them out

WEBSITE

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

We will be undergoing some *NEWLOOK* construction over the next few days! PLEASE bear with us and come back soon for some new product reviews, farm and homeschool updates and MUCH more...

Nourish Soap Bars

NOURISH NATURAL SOAP

We've been using natural bodycare products for over 5 years now and I love it knowing that my family is getting cleaned but not stripped of natural oils or being filled with harsh chemicals. Having said that though, good soap bars are sometimes hard to find. They're either really squishy when they get wet, lose their smell after a few days in the shower, crumble to pieces, etc, etc. I was pretty excited to try NOURISH Natural Soaps when I heard we would be sent 2 to review. I was going to test these soapies out and that I did and they passed with flying colors!!!

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT NOURISH BARS:

• They are filled with totally natural ingredients
• They are beautiful to look at so look awesome in your bathroom but are coloured using natural dyes from carrots, spinach etc from the Alchemists own garden! How's that for a personal touch.
• They keep their fragrance till the very end, this can sometimes be hard to find in a natural bar of soap so it truly is my favourite feature.
• Pauline the Alchemist makes them with such passion and really fills them with all these stunning ingredients that I don't often see, like Kaolin Clay, Bentonite, Oats, Spirulina etc.
• They are really a generous size for the price you pay so 2 bars went really far for our family of 6.
• Nourish bars are made using 100% pure coconut oil base so it's not only moisturizing it's long lasting, anti-aging and nourishing.
• They are completely hand made, hand cut and packaged and have been personally tested by Pauline and her family.
• There are heaps of fragrant choices and each with their own properties and functions. I really want to try out the Breathe bar for Colds and Sinus that has Peppermint and Eucalyptus essential oil and detoxing Bentonite clay as well as their Shampoo Bar.
• Did I mention she is a Homeschool Mamma so we love to support our fellow Homeschoolers!

You can view these delicious bars here

or

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Gorgeous Mom Bra Review!

Ok so I'm really big on breastfeeding! I've fed all my babies and am in the process of relactating with Sweetpea (whole other story that I will post about, when I'm brave enough!). BUT and this is a BIG, HUGE but... I loath the feeding bra's! They are always in abundance in beige and white and then I'm talking plain as plain can be. Whats up with that? Enter Gorgeous Mom.

Right... This is more like it!!

I was sent 2 beautiful bra's for review and immediately I was excited to try these babies on! I received the 

Bianca

And:

Orchid Purple

They aren't only beautiful, here is my list of PRO'S:

• Incredibly comfortable
• The clips are so easy to use with one hand
• The clips are really good quality and you can feel once they have clipped in versus hearing this loud "cluck" while breastfeeding in public (yip that's happened to me!)
• The fit is so snug in the sides and back without giving bulges everywhere.
• Did I mention they are GORGEOUS?
• They are available in underwire or padded and really give a wonderful smooth finish under your top.
• They also hide the ridges made by breast pads.

Now initially these bra's didn't fit me well (my mistake as I sent the wrong measurements) but Gorgeous Mom staff are so awesome with their service and help so really every mom can be helped out with the right size. I've had other friends order from them and say the same about their service and the bra's.

You won't be sorry for checking their site out:

GORGEOUS MOM BRAS

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