Diapers Etc. Smartipants Review and Giveaway (2/24)

ABOUT DIAPERS ETC.:
Diapers Etc. is an online store that opened in 1998. They feature high-quality organic baby products including a large selection of cloth diapers and accessories. They amazing thing about Diapers Etc. besides their multitude of products is that they ship fast (usually within 24 hours) and do not charge sales tax except to the state of Indiana! Check out their cute wetbags; I love the Ivory Jungle Critters pattern!Diapers Etc. sent me a Smartipants diaper in Cool Blue with insert, which is a new product in their store, to review.

SMARTIPANTS FEATURES:
Smartipants contain everything that I love in a diaper: snaps, one size, a pocket sleeve, cute colors, a microfiber insert, and a great cost. Just place the microfiber insert into the patented smart sleeve and the diaper is ready to go! No need to remove the insert after use with the pocket smart sleeve design: it agitates itself out in the wash.
SIZING:
The Smartipants diaper will grow with your baby and generally fits from 7-35lbs. Just adjust the rise with the snaps and the diaper will fit your baby perfectly.
WHAT DO I THINK?:
I love this diaper! The reason that I appreciate pocket diapers compared to an all-in-one is because they dry faster and you are able to line dry the outer shell to maximize the life of the diaper. When the smart sleeve insert wears down, just purchase an extra one for only $2.00! With the snaps that adjust the rise and waist of the diaper, I am able to achieve a perfect fit for Lauren each time.

I would highly recommend this diaper for parents who are looking for an affordable way to cloth diaper their child(ren). With the adjustable rise, you would be able to cloth diaper multiple children at the same time! I can really tell that this diaper will be able to hold up for the rest of Lauren's cloth diapering years and our future children. Snaps are amazing because unlike applix, they do not show as much wear and tear and your diaper maintains a newer appearance for longer. With the removable smart sleeve, you are able to replace it for a low cost and increase the absorbency if necessary for naps or night time.

BUY IT: Smartipants diaper and smart sleeve insert can be purchased from Diapers Etc. for $14.95. Choose from fun colors such as: Clever Clover, Cool Blue, and Think Pink.

WIN IT: Diapers Etc. is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a Smartipants Diaper in their choice of color! Believe me, you don't want to miss out on trying this affordable diaper.

HOW TO ENTER: Visit Diapers Etc. and let me know what your favorite product is that they carry. Check out the fun wetbag patterns! This first entry is mandatory before completing the extra entries. Be sure to leave your email address in each comment.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Leave a separate comment for each.

1. Become a follower of SuburbanSavingMama on the left hand side.

2. Subscribe to SuburbanSavingMama on the left hand side of the blog by entering your email address in the provided box. Be sure to activate your subscription.

3. Follow me on twitter @suburbansaving

4. Tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the following: Enter for your chance to win a Smartipants smart sleeve #clothdiaper from DiapersEtc. @suburbansaving, ends 2/24: http://bit.ly/cDovAu
*You can tweet once per day every day for an extra entry.

5. Post my button on your blog/website. Please leave the link so I can come and check it out.

6. Subscribe to Diapers Etc. newsletter on the homepage of their website. Scroll down a bit and it is on the right side.

7. Purchase anything from Diapers Etc. (10 extra entries). Please leave your order number in the comment.

8. Blog about this giveaway. Be sure to link directly to this giveaway as well as the Diapers Etc. website. (3 extra entries).

This giveaway will close at 11:59pm on Feb. 24, 2010. One reader will be selected using random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply to an email sent to them before another winner is chosen at random.

The Smartipants Diaper from Diapers Etc. received for this review were provided for free. This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was given about the product.*

Discipline: Spanking

In my Aloha Friday post, I asked parents to let me know if they were spanked as a child and if they spank do/did/will spank their children. The majority of us adults were spanked as a child although the number of parents who spank today is greatly decreasing. It really makes me wonder why spanking doesn't occur as much anymore: do parents hide that they actually spank, does current research show the negative aspects of spanking, and/or do alternatives exist today that are more effective?

With so much research out there on reasons to or not to spank, I thought that it would be important to write about reasons that I will not spank my children. If you would like further reading, I recommend Dr. Sears books: The Discipline Book, The Complete Book of Christian Parenting and Childcare, or The Baby Book.

Dr. Sears has recommendations of why parents should not spank their children, click here for rationale of each.
1. Hitting models hitting
2. Hitting devalues parents
3. Hitting devalues children
4. Hitting may lead to abuse
5. Hitting does not improve behavior
6. Hitting is actually not biblical
7. Hitting promotes anger in both children and adults
8. Hitting brings back bad memories
9. Spanking doesn't work

For further reading, check out 'Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child?' by Kimberly Blaker.

What do you think about spanking: if you don't spank, why is that so? If you do spank, what is your rationale and have you found it to be an effective method of discipline in your house?

*photo taken from babble.com*

Aloha Friday: Spanking

It is Aloha Friday over at An Island Life. Yea for Friday and double yea that it is MOPS week in my town!

Rules of the game: answer the question below by leaving a comment and be sure to let me know if you have an Aloha Friday question over at your site that I can check out.

QUESTION: Were you spanked as a child? AND Are you/Do you spank your children now?
*Please ONLY answer the two questions asked. On Monday, I am going to have a separate discipline post and you are more than welcome to come back and leave a comment with your opinions/thoughts on spanking or not spanking.*

ANSWER: I was spanked as a child. I am not going to spank my children.

Cloth Diaper Confession!

See tiny Lauren trying out her BumGenius pocket diaper for the first time when she was just a little over two months old?...oh, how small she was! The past few times that Lauren has worn her little BumGenius, she has leaked. Hmmm...I wondered, how could that be! This diaper is super absorbent, the PUL is intact, and I am putting it on correctly. So I asked myself the two major questions one should ask when their is leakage?

1. Is there too much build-up of detergent on the diaper? Does it need to be stripped?
2. Do I need to increase the level of absorbency?

Increase the level of absorbency was my thought. I went into my stash of doublers to find the one that I know this diaper came with only to discover that it was missing. Hmmm again? Only then did I realize that I had her pocket stuffed with the thin doubler the ENTIRE time instead of the nice and fluffy snap down insert that it came with...oh my! I guess our leak problems are no longer!

Giveaway Link Up!

Feel free to link up your current giveaways. Please make sure the link goes directly to your giveaway so we can all find it easily. Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain Book Review

During these trying economic hardships and times of uncertainty, it is hard to think of the purpose of it all. Paul Meier, MD and David L. Henderson, MD discuss how we can do just that in their latest book, "Finding Purpose Beyond our Pain: Uncover the Hidden Potential in Life's Most Common Struggles. Meier and Henderson tackle the seven universal struggles in this 278 page book such as death, loneliness, and rejection.

Each universal struggle is outlined and personal applications are provided for readers to learn how to cope with their pain/struggle. I really enjoyed browsing through this book and reading certain chapters that I identified with in depth. This book would be a great reference book for future struggles and a good tool for having conversations with others about struggles that they are having. So often I feel at a loss for words when talking with other people about the pain in their life and relating that to the church. Instead of people having a disconnect from God when they are experiencing pain, this book helps to identify how they can grow in their faith and embrace what is in front of them.

I would recommend this book for readers who would like a more in depth look at pain and what the scripture has to say about it. This book changes a person's negative viewpoint of their pain and focuses on what God's purpose is for them and how we can grow from that.

*Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain was received for free from Booksneeze in exchange for a review. My honest opinion was given about this book and this was not a paid post.*

Extended Breastfeeding?

Awhile ago I saw a video on t.v. about a mother who was occasionally breastfeeding her almost eight year old. As some of you may know, I am an advocate of extended breastfeeding and believe that children should decide when they want to wean...as long as it is mutually okay with mom and child. With that being said, if mom is not okay with continuing to nurse her baby, then it should be discontinued. I do not believe that a certain age or milestone (getting teeth or eating solid food) determines when children should be done breastfeeding.

*Please note that the video does contain graphic images of the mother towards the end.*



Although the relationship between the mother and her children may be a little too much for some parents, it is important to note that they (the family in the video) are mutually satisfied with the relationship. The only time that the mother discusses feeling uncomfortable is when she is dressing in the morning and her children do not give her privacy.

I am curious as to what other parents think about extended breastfeeding and at what point do you call it 'extended'? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding until at least one year of age and the World Health Organization up to two years or beyond. Leave a comment with your ideas but be respectful of other opinions/decisions.

The Food Diaries of a Nursing Mother...

No one ever tells you that a breastfeeding mother needs to consume more calories than when she is pregnant: 300 more when pregnant, 500 when breastfeeding. I feel like all day I am eating, nursing, eating, nursing, eating, and then eating some more! Here is a typical day:

7:00 am. Bowl of General Mills Cheerios, Orange Juice, and Prenatal Vitamin

9:00 am. Homemade Cookie...or 2

11:00 am. Hummus and Triscuits

12:30 pm. Leftover Roast, Carrots, and Potatoes

2:00 pm. A few more homemade cookies

5:00 pm. Fruit Cocktail

6:45 pm. Chicken Alfredo

8:00 pm. Bowl of Ice Cream

You see all those cookies and ice cream in there, opps! At least I start my day off right with a nice big bowl of General Mills Cheerios. A great source of whole grains, frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures as well.

Studies also demonstrate the benefits of children eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.For a $1.00 off General Mills coupon, click here!

*Through MyBlogSpark, General Mills provided me with four coupons for a free box of cereal and information about the importance of breakfast. This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was given.*

Aloha Friday: # of Kids

Question: Do you and your spouse agree on how many children you want to have?

I would like to have at least 3 biological children and possibly adopt some more. Hubby is thinking more along the lines of 2 biological and then adoption. Just recently we (HE) decided to purchase a second vehicle so I wouldn't be stuck at home all day. The agreement was that if he bought the car he had to give me 3 biological children (if that was the decision I made)...we will see if he follows through with that!

Please leave a comment with your answer and be sure to visit An Island Life for more Aloha Friday questions.