Baby Signing Time

**This picture was taken off of the Signing Time Website**

I truly believe baby sign language is a great way to get passed the communication barrier with your baby and toddler. We used baby sign language with W, and it was our saving grace. W picked up on it very early (around 8 months) with his first sign being "all done". A few months after that, he was signing "more", "please", "thank you", "milk", "ball", "drink", "eat", etc. It was nice being able to communicate with him, because he didn't get as frustrated when it came to getting him what he wanted.

P-man received "Baby Signing Time" for Christmas from Jess and I, and we watch it almost every day. We just love all the songs and how they put all the signs together, for example: signs for eat, drink, please, more, juice, cereal, etc are all in the same section and song, the same goes with animals. It makes it easy for the both of us to learn and remember each sign. Plus, Rachel does a great job keeping the attention of not only P-man, but his older brother as well.

I have nothing bad to say about this video, and can't wait to order the rest of the volume's (we only have the 1st volume). Feel free to check out their website: Signing Time. They have more than just videos, so definitely check them out. You definitely have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain. It's such a relief being able to overcome the communication barrier with P-man.

Oh, I also wanted to point out that using sign language with your baby/toddler will not DELAY their speech. In fact, I believe it helped W talk at an earlier age. At 15 months, he was already using more than 20 words and some two word sentences.

Here is P-man signing, "all done".

**This review comes directly from my own personal experiences and my opinion is that of my own. I was not paid or compensated in any form for this review. This video was purchased by me.**

Fluff Review

I thought it would be a fun idea to go through all the diapers we own and do a quick little review on each of them. I will post one pro and one con to each (that is if I can find a con). As of right now, we are up to 29 diapers, 2 Thirsties duo diapers(size 2), 2 Thirsties duo wraps(size 2), 3 BumGenius 4.0 snap pocket diapers (one size), 4 BumGenius 3.0 hook and loop AIO (large), 1 Happy Heinys hook and loop pocket diaper(one size), 2 Tiny Tush snap fitted AIO(one size), 5 unbleached Indian prefolds(medium), 2 GroVia snap AIO (one size), 1 FuzziBunz snap pocket (one size), 7 FuzziBunz snap pocket perfect size(medium). Out of those 29 diapers, we are able to use 24 of them, because the prefolds are currently too small to use as a diaper. However, they work perfect as an insert for extra protection.

Thirsties Duo Wrap: This is a pretty decent cover. I like the leg gussets on the side, which help provide superior protection against leaks. The pattern is flashy (Cool Stripe). and the fit is perfect for P-man's shape. I really don't have anything negative to say. I wish it got more use, as I don't have very many fitted and our prefolds are currently too small. I would highly recommend this cover.

Thirsties Duo Diaper: Instead of being just a cover. This Diaper contains a two-piece diapering system combining an absorbent insert and a waterproof sleeve diaper a.k.a a pocket diaper. Again, this is a fabulous diaper that helps prevent leaks and is super absorbent. It's a bit bulky and I prefer snaps of the hook and loop (velcro closure).

FuzziBunz One Size Pocket Diaper: This is a one sized diaper, so it grows with your baby from 7-35 lbs. This diaper also comes with two different sized inserts. It's a pretty snug fit due to the button-adjusted waist and leg casings. Not only are there a variety of snap settings available, but the leg casings adjust to 8+ button settings and the waist adjusts to 4+ button settings. However, I do believe the perfect size medium seems to be a more "comfortable" fit compared to the one size.

Fuzzibunz Perfect Size Pocket Diaper: I have nothing nothing bad to say about this diaper. This was our first ever cloth diaper purchase due to all the rave reviews. This is a perfect size medium, which fits from 15 - 30 lbs. It comes with one microfiber insert that slides easily into the pocket opening. P-man has yet to leak out of this diaper, and that's with only one insert. This diaper seems to hold onto the ammonia smell compared to others, which has resulted in more "stripping".


BumGenius 3.0 AIO : This is a large sized diaper, which fits from 22-30 lbs. My husband really enjoys the All In Ones over the pockets, because there is no stuffing of inserts (that is if you don't need the added leak protection). This pretty much goes on like a normal 'sposie and very easy to use. Again, not a huge fan of the hook and loop, because of the added wear and tear. This is probably the least bulky of all the diapers in our collection.



BumGenius One Size 4.0 Pocket Diaper: This diaper is new from BumGenius. It's a one sized diaper with snap closures (instead of the hook and loop listed above). The snap closures are flexible and stretchy to help provide a more custom fit. This diaper also comes with two different type of inserts, one for newborns and the other for older babies. The top has a waterproof leakage stopper, which helps prevent leaking at the top of the diaper (perfect for little boys). Nothing bad to say, except the hubby can get frustrated putting this diaper on P-man.


Happy Heinys One Size Pocket Diaper: This is one of my favorite diapers (not because of the adorable Owl print). This has to be the most comfortable diaper on P-man's bottom. It's a one size diaper that fits from 8-35 lbs. Again, comes with two inserts, which can be added for extra protection, which we've had to use. It seems if P-man is in this diaper for a longer period of time, it's more prone to leak. This is another hook and loop closure, but it's more thick and seems more durable compared to the others. Besides the leakage, this diaper is pretty bulky, and only fits under super stretchy pants.

GroVia One Size AIO: The diaper is another all in one (hubby's favorite) and has snap closures. It's a one size, and is supposed to fit a baby from 10 lbs until 35 lbs. However, it seems to have a pretty snug fit, already on the largest setting for P-man. I'm afraid he will outgrow this diaper before he potty trains. I do like how this diaper comes with a snap in soaker option for extra absorbency, did I mention it's organic cotton!? All-in all a pretty decent diaper, but not one of my personal favorites.


Tiny Tush One Size Fitted Diaper: This diaper is a one size diaper fitting a newborn to 35 lbs. It's made out of 100% cotton and will need to be covered (we use the Thirsties duo wrap cover that was mentioned at the beginning of this review). It comes with a snap in liner for extra protection, which is great. If you line dry, this is the perfect diaper for you, for being a cotton diaper, it dries pretty rapidly. We haven't had any leak issues with P-man, but we don't use this diaper consistently. It pretty much gets use when all my other diapers are in the laundry. It does get pretty bulky with the cover, but again, does a fabulous job protecting against leaks.

Unbleached Indian Prefold: These are your "traditional" cloth diapers, the ones you parents and grandparents used. These will needed to be folded to your liking, and then can be closed with either a Snappi or a safety pin followed by a type of cover for protection. For being one flat sheet of cotton, they are pretty absorbent and extremely soft. We only used these when we first started cloth diapering P-man, and were tricky to use at first. However, with more and more practice you get to be a pro and folding these. If you have a squirmy baby and a hubby who gets confused easily, I would more than likely skip these and go straight to either a pocket diaper or all in one.

Well, those are all the different types of fluff that we own. I hope this helped you all in trying to decide what's best for you and your baby. I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the AppleCheeks brand, as I won a $10 gift card in a giveaway. So, stay tuned for another review. Hooray for fluff!

**This review comes directly from my own personal experiences and my opinion is that of my own. I was not paid or compensated in any form for this review. All the diapers shown were purchased by me**

GroVia AIO One-Sized Cloth Diaper

Today, I'm going to show you a quick video on how to change a baby using a GroVia AIO one-sized cloth diaper. I'm also going to include a review on the diaper, so you all get an idea on how we are liking this particular cloth diaper. I'm hoping to continue making these short videos with each brand/type of the fluff we own followed by a review. Hopefully, this will help you all decide what type of cloth diaper works for you and your baby. Feel free to leave any questions or comments in the provided comment section.

I have never really heard of GroVia, until I entered to win a giveaway over at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. I heard about their hybrid diapers, but had no idea they made an all-in-one. A week after I entered the giveaway, I found out I had won (out of 1100 entries). I was so excited to learn I won, because I'm so open minded when it comes to cloth diapering. I'm willing to try just about anything(except for gDiapers) and winning this giveaway gave me an opportunity to try something new. I received two GroVia diapers in the mail two weeks later, one color was Vanilla and the other Ice. They have some other cute prints that I like, especially the "Owls" print.

In case some of you are wondering, an "all-in-one" cloth diaper is a diaper that is pretty much ready to wear without having to worry about stuffing a pocket with an insert or liner, pinning/snapping a fitted or prefold, etc. My husband is a huge fan of this type of diaper, because it doesn't require too much thinking, it's also easy for a baby who doesn't sit still. I do like how the GroVia has the snap in soaker option for extra absorbency, did I mention it's organic cotton!? It's pretty easy to size, as it is a one-sized cloth diaper, but I'm a little worried it won't fit once we get to the potty-training stage. The diaper is supposed to fit a baby from 10 lbs until 35 lbs. However, with the way it fits P-man now, I'm not sure if this diaper is something that will last him until he reaches 35 lbs. That's another thing, just because it says it fits up to a certain amount of weight, you also need to take inconsideration of the size around baby's waste, buttocks, and thighs.

Besides fit, I really don't have any complaints about this diaper. It's super absorbent, so we've never had any problems with leaks (would make for a perfect overnight option). It only took four wash and dry cycles to prepare the diaper for use with no repelling issues. It's a nice trim and soft diaper, and would highly recommend this brand to anyone.

It's a Fluffy World

Our purchase from Samozrejme

For those of you who are probably tapping their chins in confusion, "fluff" is also known as cloth diapers. I've been highly interested in cloth diapering since I was pregnant with W. We even purchased a few "Kushies", and honestly wasn't too fond of them at all. They felt like an overpriced swim diaper. So, we just used disposable. After P-man came, I was noticing a lot of my friends were either using fluff on their babes or making the switch. It caught my attention, and I began researching the different types (something I didn't do before). I didn't realize there was so much to choose from...prefolds and covers, AIO's or All In Ones, pockets, hybrid, fitted, sleeve, and one-sized to just name a "few". The top brands that caught my eye were FuzziBunz, BumGenius, and Thirsties. I really wanted to order a few, but the hubby thought it would be a better to find a store that carries the brands we were interested in, so we can get a good feel of what we think would work best on P-man. Jesse and I loaded the kiddos in the car and we head to Samozrejme, a one-stop-shop for cloth diapers and accessories. The ladies there were so helpful, and really knew their fluff. They pointed us in the direction of the FuzziBunz, which they thought was a good starter diaper. The also had them on sale, since they were getting ready to introduce new colors, etc. The FuzziBunz are a pocket diaper that have snap closures, perfect starter for both the hubby and I. We ended up leaving the store with a few FuzziBunz, inserts, prefolds, and Thirties and about $89.00 spent.

Speaking of the "hard cash", that's the one, I would say, downfall to cloth diapering. It's definitely an investment, with a lot money spent up front, however in the long run you're not only saving mula, but helping the environment as well. Jesse and I have done a good job "investing" in our diapers by purchasing a few at a time, wonderful friends letting us borrow theirs, and of course, stalking different "deal websites" for specials. Oh, and keeping your eyes peeled for giveaways. I just recently won a giveaway over at http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com. We have around 15 dipes now, and I would eventually like to have at least 30. That way, I don't have to do the laundry every evening. Oh...the laundry...I almost forgot to mention another "downfall" to making the switch. This is coming from someone who despises laundry, it really isn't that bad. The only part I dislike is removing the poo from them, which sometimes requires some rubber gloves and elbow grease. We, unfortunately, don't have a diaper sprayer (a device you hook up to your toilet to spray the waste away from a cloth diaper), so we just use the sink (of course heavy bleaching takes place after). I'm hoping to purchase a sprayer to make it easier, but again it's an investment of around $45.00. It's pretty easy "disposing" the diaper into a laundry bin with a liner. Washing is a piece of cake, a few cycles in the wash (I have a front loader) and then you can either place in the dryer on low or line dry...both have their benefits.

Right now, I'm "patiently" waiting on some fluffy mail from Kelly's Closet (I have her button on the right side of my block, check her out). Both Jesse and I are very glad we made the switch to fluff, even though Patrick has been in disposables for most of his young life. It's really never too late to switch.

Huggies Overnight Diapers

What a waste of $20.00!!!!!

Okay, W pees a lot at night still, which stinks, because it tells me he's not ready to potty train yet. Anywho, I've had to resort to buying Huggies Overnights, because W was waking up 3-4 mornings a week w/wet clothes. Well, he's worn the overnights for three nights now, and has been wet almost two out of the three mornings. Last night was the worst...I wake up at 4:00 a.m. to, "Mommy, I'm wet", and I go in there and he's drenched down his entire left leg with urine. He had no liquids within an hour of bedtime, and I always put on his diaper good hoping to avoid wet clothes. Well, after changing him, cleaning him, and changing the sheets...W decided it was time to party. It took me almost until 6:00 a.m. to put him back to sleep....and then was up at 8:25 a.m. I'm so tired today, and not a very happy camper this morning. I had planned on making my 9:00 a.m. step class, but wasn't able too. I'm so calling Huggies to complain, and I hope to get a refund...those diapers are expensive.