Dial Baby Wash and Hand Soap Review

In my last review of Dial soap I mentioned how Eleanor was loving to wash her hands (which really means play in the water) and I was happy with a soap that I felt comfortable with her using.  And then Dial sent me some soap specifically formulated for kids.  

This girl was thrilled.  Can you tell?  

Foaming soap is my favorite type of soap (as opposed to bar and liquid) and I love soap with a little scent to it.  This water-melon scent is perfect for summertime.  I love that she can learn proper hygiene through the use of this soap. 

We were also sent Dial baby body and hair wash.  I used this as intended - as a wash and there were no issues.  No reactions, etc...  I also used it by pouring it into the bath and making bubbles.  She love loved it this way.  Bubbles in the bath were a new thing so it was fun.   The one thing I kind of wish it had was a scent. It's unscented and I get that's good for some kids with sensitive skin, but I like a little scent to it. 

You can learn more about their products here.

I was provided these products for review.  All opinions are my own.

Zep Microwave Cleaner Review

I received this product for review purposes. All opinions are my own.  

I use my microwave on a daily basis and while I try to clean it up as it get's dirty sometimes I can't.  Life (aka a toddler who needs me at that moment) gets in the way and then I forget about it. 

My go to clean is a cup of hot water for a few minutes in the microwave to help make it easier to wipe.  This works but I'm open to trying new methods as well.  

Enter the Zep Microwave cleaner.  I had an opportunity a while ago to try a few other cleaning products from Zep and was impressed with them so I had high hopes. 

To use it you spray/squirt it into the microwave - it's a foam - and then run the microwave for 2 minutes.  After that you should be able to wipe it clean.  

I thought for sure I had a before picture, but like I said toddlers are distracting so I don't.

 

Truthfully though, I expected it to just wipe clean easy peasy and it wasn't that easy.  It cleaned but I still had to use a little elbow grease to remove some of the stains.  With that being said, it wouldn't deter me from using it, and I have continued to do so. 

Girls n Bows Review & Shop Credit Giveaway.

I received an item for review.  No other compensation was given.  All opinions are my own 

Fourth of July is kind of a big deal in the Urban household.  4 years ago - on July 4 2010 - Rob and I got engaged.   It's always been Rob's favorite holiday and so I knew that Eleanor was going to need something special for it.

So I found this shop on instagram and came across this headband and knew it was what she needed.  It's big (bigger the better) and has different layers and textures which I really liked.

I contacted the shop owner about a review and was happy she agreed.  (She's also a fellow Michigander!)
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Patty is a grandma who started out making bows for her grandaughter's and loved it enough that she started making them for others.  That led to her selling them at a local craft store, consignment shops, and wholesale to local boutiques.   

She's now making the headbands as well as bow ties, bracelets, and barefoot sandals and is starting to do more sewing thanks to her new sewing machine. 

Patty has always loved crafting and has done cross stitch and made t-shirts as well as floral arrangements, wreaths, wedding flowers and hair pieces thanks to her background as a floral  designer. 

She loves to do custom pieces so if you have a special need contact her!

I got really excited when I came home from a walk and saw that the package had been delivered.  I was so excited to get into it that I kind of destroyed the box in the process because it was sealed up so well.  Once I got it open I let Eleanor 'open' it the rest of the way.  She was loving the tissue paper so much that she didn't really care about the bow.

That's a certain little hand trying to get into the package. 

 She doesn't really coordinate, but I had to put it on her as soon as I got it!

The headband is a little big on Eleanor.  It still fits, just is a little loose.  This isn't a bad thing, because it can be used  for a long time.  Another thing that I really liked about it was that it wasn't heavy.  It has several different layers of lace and ribbon but is still lightweight.

As well as being lightweight it's strong.  I wanted to test it so I picked it up and once Eleanor saw me with it she wanted it - of course - and then set it down and let her play with it.  Nothing came loose.  

She also felt bad about a slight delay- which wasn't a issue to me at all - and sent a bottlecap bracelet well, which was very sweet of her.  I have a niece who is having a birthday next month and I think she would love this, although her birthday is after the 4th of July so I might just give it to her early.  This bracelet fits me, which is impressive because I can't wear them normally because I have such small wrists that they fall halfway down my arms.

You can connect with her on  instagram &  facebook

Patty has offered up a shop credit of $7 on anything that is ready to ship in her shop.  Winner is responsible for shipping so keep that in mind when entering.

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Royal Fluff Cloth Diaper Review & GIVEAWAY!!

*I received this product for review.  No other compensation was given.  All opinions are my own*

The bigger Eleanor is getting the more I use cloth diapers because she fits better into some of them.  It's still something we don't use all the time (and while Rob will take one off he won't put one on), but I would say 40-50% of the time.

But sometimes I get a little burned out with them because they aren't always as 'easy' and so when Royal Fluff contacted me about doing a review I was totally on board.  I love getting new fluff for Eleanor and was hoping this would help with my little burn out session.  It totally did. 

I didn't choose the print - just specified girl - so when I got the package in the mail and saw the return address, I tore right into and let out an excited scream ( and totally sounded like a teenage girl at a boy band concert).  After showing Ellie (who smiled and tried to eat it) I took a picture and immediately instagramed it.

It's so unlike anything I have in my stash and I love it.

They do have some other adorable prints that I've been oogling such as these.



I didn't even show Rob because I put it right in the wet bag to be prepped.  Thankfully it was a cloth diaper wearing day (she wears them a few days a week) so I knew I would be doing the laundry soon.

I'm not normally a pocket diaper kind of girl - but that's more because I'm lazy and don't like stuffing them but I don't dislike them ( 1/2 of our diapers are pocket diapers).  The one thing I wish was different about this diaper that I like in the other pockets we have are 2 openings for the insert.  I like that it comes out in the wash. I didn't attempt to see if this would with the one opening so maybe it might.  The opening is pretty generous though.



The other thing that I was slightly concerned about was no cross over snaps, but for Eleanor it wasn't a problem.  With a smaller waisted baby it might be.  On the smallest setting it fit Eleanor great.

The one size diapers (the also make a newborn version) are supposed to fit from about 10 lbs to 30 lbs.  Eleanor was about 16 lbs at the time we first tried it out.



This diaper was great. We didn't have any leaks at all the first (or subsequent times) it's been worn.  It's been worn for nap time on her belly as well as other times during the day when she's been playing on her play mat or in the play center etc...

Royal fluff diapers sell for $23-$24 dollars a diaper and you can purchase here.  They also sell extra inserts and wetbags.

The smallest setting

The largest setting

The interior of the diaper is a very soft fleece, and the insert is made from 3 layers of microfiber terry cloth.

Snug leg fit.

Very trim, no typical cloth diaper big bottom

Royal Fluff has offered 1 reader the opportunity to win their very own diaper. Enter on the rafflecopter form below. No worries if you don't win though because you can use the code BLOGLOVE20 to save on your entire order through April 15

You can also connect with Royal Fluff via facebook or twitter.

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Dove Deodorant #voxbox

I was recently given the opportunity to try the latest Voxbox from influenster (if you want an invite leave me a comment).  This one contained Dove's newest deodorant.



Since having Eleanor in October, I've noticed I sweat more.   This product claims to have 48 hour protection.  As embarrassing as it is, there are days where it is evening and I haven't put deodorant on.  I do shower every night so it's not like I smell bad, even with sweating more.  I guess I should make applying it part of my post-shower routine since I'm bound to forget in the mornings.

One of the first things I noticed was how smooth it felt when I applied it.  I felt like it really moisturized my armpits.  It has a slight smell to it, but it's a fresh smell and I didn't mind it.

And it did last for a while.  I didn't and don't want to test out the 48 hour claim, but I felt like it really helped with the sweating issue.

I don't generally have a specific brand preference in deodorant- I use what is on sale- but I have used dove in the past and liked the results.  I would purchase this if I needed it.


"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Chicco NaturalFit Bottles ~ Review

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Chicco. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.”

If you've been reading this blog at any point over the last few months you'll know that Eleanor is breastfeed and that we've had some bumps in the road.

I do stay home with her so normally I just nurse her; however once in a while it's nice to be able to go grocery shopping alone, or be able to go to an appointment and not need to bring her.  In order to do so I need to be able to leave her with a bottle. 

I've tried most brands and while some have worked, I didn't feel like they were the right ones for her.  The flow was to fast, the nipple would collapse when she sucked, or she would get to much air and wind up gassy.

So when I was given the opportunity to try the Chicco NaturalFit Bottles, I was curious to see how they would stack up.

Honestly, I didn't know Chicco made bottles, but we have other Chicco brand products for Eleanor (the car seat and the keyfit caddy are a few) and we are impressed with them so I had high hopes for the bottles.

The selection I was sent.

The Natural Fit bottles are available in different sizes, and with different nipple flows for different stages of development.   

We tried the 5 oz newborn flow bottle which is designed to be used from birth (stage 1; squeezing).
This bottles has features such as:

• Twin anti-colic valves
• Flexors to improve elasticity
• Ridges to help nipple collapse (and this has been a problem in other brands we've used)
• Angled nipple, which helps keep milk in it reducing air bubbles.
• BPA free

Heating up the milk; fits into a standard size coffee cup.

 

Rob tried to give her the bottle but Eleanor would't drink from it. She would put it in her mouth and try to suck, but would stop and reject the nipple.  I stopped having her take bottles due to my own issues (repeated clog ducts made me nervous to not nurse) and that has become a problem.  

I think I've given her one bottle since she was born (it just doesn't feel 'right' to me), but having her be okay with taking them from me could be useful so I tried myself after Rob had attempted. 

She wouldn't take it from me either.  Rob and I both liked that the bottle was easier to hold because it was wider and he liked the way the nipple was angled.

Rob tried again a few days later.  I didn't get pictures of this attempt because I was distracting her and once I left the room she took the bottle without issues.  Success!  Rob thinks that maybe she forgot how to take one?

The other bottles we received will be useful when she gets a little bigger. Stage 2 are their transitional bottle and are designed for four months and up. 

Stage 3 bottles are designed to encourage proper sucking with an elongated nipple and are recommended from age 6 months and up.

I like that the nipples are designed slightly different for each stage as opposed to just having a different flow.
This is the first time I've seen something like that and because I've learned that a babies latch can change as they get older it makes sense for this to change as well.

All the bottles are available at buybuy BABY for under $10

Chicco also sent a few different pacifiers for us to try.  I've tried almost every variety of pacifier available, and have yet to be successful.  I've tried when she's calm, when she's crying, as a means to help her sleep (instead of comfort nursing), but nothing has worked.

The soft silicone orthodontic pacifiers (bottom right in the picture above) have features such as ventilation holes to allow air flow and prevent saliva build up (and with a super drooly baby this is a plus), a nipple shape to help with proper tongue pressure and other features to help with proper positioning. 

Eleanor would not take these.  I couldn't even get a picture because she wouldn't hold it in her mouth at all.

The deco-orthodontic pacifiers were no different.  Eleanor just doesn't like pacifiers, but I would recommend these anyway.  These ones come in fun designs and patterns, and have the same features as the soft silicone ones.

Buttons Cloth Diapers~Review

When Eleanor was born we mostly used disposables.  We didn't have very many newborn sized cloth diapers, and while I did use the ones we had, Rob stuck with the disposables.  I think he was intimidated by them with all the snaps.

Now that she's getting bigger I'm starting to use them more often and I love them.  I know cloth diaper fans say it often, but really there is nothing cuter than a fluffy butt.

I'm still really a cloth diaper newbie and so I'm still figuring out what I like and what works bests for us.

When I was given the chance to review a diaper from Buttons I was excited.  The covers are one size with two different insert size options depending on the size of the baby.

This is how it arrived. Super cute! 

Eleanor is 10 lbs and this fit her on the smallest setting pretty well.

This diaper had several features that I liked:

• I liked the cross over snaps and am realizing that is a feature I wish all diapers had.  I was able to get a good fit around her waist.
• I really liked is that the insert snaps on both ends.  I have found that ones that don't tend to move around a little, and I've had one leak before. 
• I liked that the inserts had a tag sewn on them.  I have many different brands of diapers and inserts and I'm sure I don't always match them correctly.  I guess it doesn't matter as long as it fits but I would like to match them up.  With the tag I know that it is correct every time. 
• Speaking of tags sewn on, there is a tag sewn right onto the diaper with care instructions

I used this diaper and after having it on for a little while she fell asleep and slept for an hour or so.  She's not a heavy wetter usually, but this insert was absorbent and didn't leak at all.

The diaper also comes with a card with care instructions.

The inserts.  I'm not sure why there is a size difference,
 but it doesn't effect how they work.

I like the cute little button on the back

Double Gussets

The largest setting

The smallest setting

The diaper has a snug fit around the legs

It's a trim fitting diaper.

I've said before that I am a new to cloth diapers so I'm still learning what I like and don't like, and with use my preference and opinions may change; however I can't think of anything I didn't like about this diaper.

I loved this diaper and would recommend it.

You can buy Buttons Diapers on their website  A cover is $11 and inserts are $3.50.

They also have a few special programs where you can earn free diapers

1) If you refer a store who places a wholesale order you can earn a diaper package that includes 5 covers, 6 insets and 2 packs of cloth wipes (worth $107)

2) If you place a link on your site and someone makes a purchase you can also earn free diapers.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.