SHMILY Coins Review & Giveaway

What are SHMILY Coins? Click HERE to read the story.

Genius. As parents it is hard sometimes to remember that we are not just mom and dad, we are also husband and wife. We have to make time for each other & do little things that remind each other how much we love our spouse, to keep the fire burnin' & nurture our marriage.

Of course, your SHMILY Coins can also be used with your older kids or other family members too.

The SHMILY coins are small (1½" round) & made out of 100% wood, no MSG or BPA & are made in the USA! They can be hidden in your loved ones purse, lunchbag, pillow, suitcase, dashboard, under their windshield wiper, in a card, briefcase, or any other place where it is sure to be found with an appreciative smile. Everyone enjoys being reminded that they are loved--especially when the reminder comes at an unexpected time or place!

When I first received my SHMILY coins I didn't tell my husband about them, I just put one in his work uniform pocket so he could find it while he was gone. Needless to say, he was confused about where it came from, Haha. So then I explained to him what they are. These are great for us :) I have hidden them in his work uniform, his work folder, his gun holster, his wallet... I found have them in the wet wipes container (What could make changing a dirty diaper any better?!), in the bathroom cabinet...

Here are some comments from others who have used a SHMILY coin that I had given them:

"We have been playing since we got home from the Honeymoon and will keep playing forever" ---Awww <3

"We absolutely love the SHMILY coins, we like to keep it a secret when we find it so the other person is surprised when they come across it." ---Great idea!

"The perfect wedding gift" ---Indeed!

BUY: Visit the SHMILY Coins website.
If you enter the giveaway below, then win, they will refund your purchase of 5 coins!

GIVEAWAY

Prefense Review & Giveaway CLOSED

Alchohol based hand sanitizer gels & wipes include a suprizing amount of alcohol (e.g., Purell and Germ-X contain 62% Ethyl Alcohol), and a child who swallowed enough of such products could experience intoxication, possibly even alcohol poisoning. With small children, 1 of whom sucks on my fingers quite often, I just can not risk using hand sanitizer with alcohol in it.

Prefense' sent me a 1.5oz bottle of Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer to review. This size is PERFECT for the diaper bag. Now, I always keep it in there for diaper changes & when strangers touch my baby boy's hands. (Ack!)


One application lasts all day; Prefense protects against germs for up to 24 hours & active up to 10 hand washings!


I do not have any pictures of me using the hand sanitizer because really, what is there to see? LoL. You just squirt it into your hands & rub it around! I love that this hand sanitizer does not leave a sticky icky feeling on your hands like some other sanitizers might.

BUY: Visit Prefense's Website or purchase Prefense on Amazon.

Prefense just came out with their first ever Combo Pack! It's only available on their website and the price is the LOWEST price ever on Prefense products - $7.99! Considering that both items in the combo pack are $6.99 by themselves, it's like you're buying one and getting the other for a dollar!

GIVEAWAY

Teething Bonbon Review

Jill from Dandelion Baby sent me the Teething Bonbon to review

The Teething Bonbon, made of certified organic cotton and naturally antibacterial lamb’s wool, is made by hand in western Canada.

This toy is great for my little teether!
1. Dip the ends in water.
2. Leave the center stuffing dry.
3. Toss in the freezer ‘till needed.
The cool, firm knots soothe tender gums while the lamb’s wool stuffing keeps little hands warm

"Ohh, it's cold mom!" LOL

The care instructions are so simple, just machine wash & dry. Love it!

BUY: Visit Dandelion Baby's Website.
If 2 Teething Bonbon's are purchased, there's a $6 savings, and if 3 are purchased, it's a $12 savings.

Don't forget to use coupon code MNC15 for 15% off anything in the store!

Take some time to browse their site, so many great items!

And make sure to 'like' Dandelion Baby on Facebook & don't forget to tell them we sent you!

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DANO2 Designer Toys Review & Giveaway CLOSED

DANO Toys is a family-owned company that manufactures solely in the United States. They began their journey during the "Year of the Recall" when their baby was just getting her first teeth and few products could be found that they felt were safe enough for their baby to put into her mouth.

DANO's Circus Teethers are made in the USA with the same medical grade materials that pediatricians and dentists trust for use in their equipment.

DANO sent us a set for Weston & I to review!

The Circus Teethers come in this handy compact case. Great for keeping the teethers from getting misplaced or dirty!



Photographed next to a quarter for size comparison.

Each set contains three variable-sized rings (Monkey, Seal, and Lion), each a different texture, color, and size.

The orange ring is flexible, the green ring is rigid, and the blue ring is firm.

Of course the Circus Teethers are PVC, BPA, and Phthalate-free, otherwise they wouldn't be in Weston's mouth. ;)

This set is great for teething! I love that you get all different textures & sizes all in one set so baby can choose whichever one feels best on their sensitive gums. I also love that they were made in the USA, so I know that they are safe for my baby!

Weston's favorite is obviously the orange Circus Teether :)








As their children grow and mature, so, too, do DANO's products. They have found success in the mobile market with the Little Sky Writers app for iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone, and the just released AppCrayon stylus for kids. They are looking forward to the launch of the Little Sky Writers airplane toys soon!

BUY: Visit DANO2's Website

GIVEAWAY

Funky Monkey T-Shirt Review

The people behind TShirtPrinting.net have over twenty years experience printing personalized T shirts and since day one they have offered personalized t shirts & hoodies to perfectly compliment their customers’ branding requirements.

Over the years they have screen printed everything that you could imagine and some which really did take them by surprise. Premium fashion brands have used their services, countless football teams, and fast food chains have walked away with a smile after collecting their custom t shirts.

TShirtPrinting.net sent me this silk-screen printed T-shirt with their mascot monkey printed on the front.

When I first received the T shirt I washed it inside out (I'm not sure if this is required, its just what I do with appliqued & screen printed shirts) on cold (I wash just about everything in cold).

Here I am modeling my new T :)

The placement is great, it is centered perfectly. My kids love the bright & colorful design. It washes well, there is no cracking!

For adults personalized T shirts their ranges include everything from fitted womens and mens styles through to regular fit styles in sizes from really, really small, to really, really big so I think they’ve got you covered!

They can supply T shirts, hoodies, sweats, etc. from their vast array of suppliers including ScreenStars, Gildan, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom or you can source these yourself and they can do the screen printing for you.

What's the cost?
The cost of supplying your printed clothing is dependent on a number of factors:
• Type and quality of garment.
• Number of garments.
• Number of prints per garment.
• Number of colours in each design.

TShirtPrinting.net aims to be extremely competitive without compromising on quality or service and offer quotes with no hidden costs. Due to the number of factors involved in calculating the costs it is not possible to say without knowing your requirements.

To BUY: Whatever your T shirt printing requirements are please call them at 0800 046 7633 for a no-obligation quote!


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.

Colorado Wholesale Dye Corp./Grateful Dyes® Review & Giveaway CLOSED

Colorado Wholesale Dye Corp./Grateful Dyes® has been selling the highest quality Procion MX® brand fabric dye since 1983. They take dye orders over the phone, through the mail, and now over the internet. They also sell dye locally through their showroom in Littleton, CO. They have thousands of pounds of dye and auxiliary chemicals in stock at all times. They are also small enough to care about your order, and give you the best customer service.

I was so "Grateful" to receive a GREAT package from Colorado Wholesale Dye Corp./Grateful Dyes®!

Here is some of the work I did for Weston.

Burp Rags

And some shirts for Brooklynn

Brooklynn's new pillowcase

Matching :)

This was my first time using "real" dye. I did tie dye in middle school, but the teacher did everything except the tieing, coloring, & rinsing. All the mixing was done for us. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about screwing this up. All the chemicals (only 3 + the dyes lol) and all the measurements. I just knew it wasn't going to go well. I read the instructions several times before even starting & kept them close by for reference the entire time. Needless to say, I didn't screw anything up!

Tip: For the dye, I used the squeeze bottles that the hospital sent home with me after Brooklynn was born. :) They worked great!

These dyes are very special and ONLY designed to dye Plant based materials such as Cotton, Linen, Rayon, Hemp, etc. They also work well on Silk. They are NOT designed to dye wool or nylon and do not work AT ALL on polyester. Their Dyes also require a fixer chemical that you can find in the auxiliary chemicals.

BUY: Visit Colorado Wholesale Dye Corp./Grateful Dyes®'s Website. Make sure to use coupon code "Crunchy" to receive a 5% discount on your order! This coupon expires Sept 5th.

GIVEAWAY

The Redberry Tree Review & Giveaway CLOSED

It seems that Emily, from The Redberry Tree, & I have alot in common. We both love cupcakes, we both sew, alot, & we share the exact same birthday! Crazy stuff. ;)

On our birthday this year I was lucky enough to receive this adorable One-Size pocket diaper from The Redberry Tree.

The inside of the diaper is a super soft minky dot.

The placement of the pocket hole is perfect. The fabric overlaps, keeping the insert completely tucked in.

I love this illustration that I stole from The Redberry Tree's website.

Emily sent me 2 different inserts to try out. One of them is a hemp/organic cotton blend french terry and the other is organic bamboo fleece.
(They are folded in half here)

Both are super absorbent- from what I have read, Hemp is a little more absorbent but OBF is softer. Hemp comes standard with each diaper ordered from The Redberry Tree. I'm starting to become a big fan of natural fiber inserts. I also love the shape of these inserts, they are thin & long, 24"x 5". You can fold them to provide more absorbancy in the front, or back, or equal coverage all over. The shape also provides a shorter drying time.

Here is my sweet boy testing it out!

The fit is great! We have not had any leaks while wearing this diaper.

Emily has been sewing for over 10 years & it shows! The construction of this diaper is perfect, it is very high quality.





I base my final opinion of a diaper on if I trust a diaper out in public or not. And I do trust this diaper out in public, 100%. I give this diaper 5 out of 5 stars!

The Redberry Tree carries both Pocket Diapers & Fitteds. Both are laid out the same way- ultimately to produce a "stay dry" feeling and allow you to customize absorbency, but traditionally, a pocket diaper is waterproof, and a fitted diaper is not, and requires a cover. The Redberry Tree's diapers are sold as One Size, meaning you can adjust the length and width of the diaper to fit your newborn, toddler, and anybody in between! Easy.

BUY: Visit The Redberry Tree's Website.

GIVEAWAY

Blissful Booty Review & Giveaway CLOSED

At Blissful Booty®, they understand that as parents we need to do something proactive towards securing our children's environmental future. This is why they offer an alternative to disposable diapers, giving parents a sustainable choice that you can feel good about making.

When making the choice to use cloth diapers not only are you making the most comfortable, healthy choice for your baby, you are also taking an important step towards giving future generations a cleaner, greener planet.

Cathy (the creator of Blissful Booty®) was once Director of Operations of a Financial Company, now she is self-proclaimed "diaper-preneur"! She began sewing and designing her AIO diapers in 2006 after the birth of her youngest daughter, Kaia, was born premature, with a congenital heart defect, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and VERY sensitive skin. Kaia was unable to wear any disposable diapers so cloth was Cathy's only option. She studied the look and features of the disposable that she liked best and began sewing diapers out of different types of cloth. She also began making them for friends that were having babies and they, along with her husband John urged her to expand and produce them to sell to other parents because they loved them so much. So after leaving her job in Finance, Cathy decided to just go for it and Blissful Booty® was born.

I was lucky enough to receive this GREAT package from Blissful Booty®.

I never expected them to be so generous :) My package include 2 All-In-One Ultra diapers (1 for each kiddo's bum!), 2 booster pads, 5 cloth wipes, Honey Vanilla Wipe Water Concentrate, a 1 ml dropper, & a 6 oz spray bottle.

One of the best features of Blissful Booty®'s AIO diapers is the inner leg casings for better leak protection.


You can see that I have the hook and loop tabs fastened to the laundry tabs. I have been using Weston's diaper for 2 months now & the laundry tabs are not working anymore. I have fastened them every time I put the diaper in the washer but the last couple of times I have taken them out they are fastened to another diaper, I refasten them, put them in the dryer & they come unfastened again. :( I have made sure to remove hairs & fuzzies from them but it just keeps happening. I believe this is a common problem with hook and loop diapers and this is one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of them (hook & loop diapers in general). I might just start fastening the tabs to the loosest waist setting with the diaper wrong side out.

Blissful Booty®'s AIO diapers have a luxurious, stain resistant inner lining made of no-pill microfleece, that wicks moisture away from sensitive baby skin. It is extremely soft!



Inbetween the super soft lining & waterproof cloth outer cover there is a super absorbent microfiber terry soaker.

Blissful Booty® Booster Pads are made of the same quality fabrics used in the Original Blissful Booty® Cloth Diapers. They are soft against babies delicate skin and add an extra layer of protection against leaks. Simply place pad between inner leg casings of the open diaper and place it on baby as usual. Thats it! It can be tossed in the pail and washed along with your diapers and wipes.

My first thought when I saw this diaper was, "What? Snaps AND hook & loop? Is that necessary?" I had never seen this before so I was a little thrown off at first. Now that I have thought about it, I think that this is a GREAT idea. The sturdy yet soft hook and loop helps you get the perfect fit, and the colorful snaps add security for those toddlers who would rather be naked (The reason B hadn't been in hook and loop diaper in months)! The combination is also great at preventing wing drooping while in the low end of a size, like Weston is.

Here is Weston in his size Medium (estimated weight range 14-23lbs) Blissful Booty® Ultra Diaper! He is about 16lbs & the fit is perfect!

Up close. The diaper is on it's smallest setting so I am confident it will fit for awhile longer.

I love the wider elastic band on the back. It looks so much more comfortable & I'm sure it helps prevent leaks!

Weston loves his Blissful Booty® diaper and so do I! We have not had 1 leak while wearing this diaper & Weston sure knows how to fill a diaper. LOL I love those inner leg casings!

Here is Brooklynn in her size Large (estimated weight range 20-34lbs) Ultra diaper. She was approx. 25lbs.

She does not sit still at all so it is super hard to get very many good pictures of her.

I loved this diaper on Brooklynn & wish we had it longer before she was potty trained a few weeks ago.






Because she no longer has a need for diapers (YAY!) we have passed it on to Cloth Mama's Lil Lady, Faith :) Here is what Brit had to say about it:

"At first glance I thought, 'Why snaps and hook and loop?' I'll tell you why; Your little one can't get this diaper off as easy as all the others. I like this diaper for when we are going out and about. I trust that it wont leak and she wont be taking it off in public. Plus, its cute!"


I am a big fan of One-Size diapers. Some people prefer sized diapers because of the more 'custom' fit. But I wouldn't want to have to completely replace my stash as baby grows. But sometimes I make an exception & this diaper makes a great addition to our stash!

Here is a close-up of one of the Blissful Booty® Cloth Wipes. They are 100% cotton with a textured cotton terry on one side, and a soft cotton flannel on the other.


I have used the Blissful Booty® Cloth Wipes in combination with the Blissful Booty® Wipe Water Concentrate.

Blissful Booty® Wipe Water Concentrate is a natural cleansing and moisturizing solution for use with cloth baby wipes. It is sulfate, paraban and preservative free! Wipe Water Concentrate is made with soothing organic aloe, chamomile, lavender and vitamin e so it is always gentle to your baby's skin. Jojoba and rosehip oil add to the soothing qualities of the concentrate and tea tree oil adds natural antimicrobial properties. And it's so easy to use! Just use a 1 ml dropper to sqeeze the correct amount of Wipe Water Concentrate into the spray bottle of your choice, fill it up with water, & shake! You can either spray the wipe then wipe baby's bum, or spray directly onto baby's bum then wipe.

I don't have any pictures of the Blissful Booty® wipes in use, for obvious reasons, HA. But I do love the wipes & the wipe water concentrate. It takes me 3 Blissful Booty® wipes (& Wipe Water Solution) to clean up what would take me atleast 8 disposable wipes! I use the terry side to get the majority of the mess, then fold to get the last of it with the soft flannel side.

REduce, REuse, REdiaper!

Blissful Booty® also offers Pail Liner Bags and Wetbags! Very soon they will be offering flushable liners too.

BUY: Visit Blissful Booty®'s online store.

The following insert was taken from the Blissful Booty® website.

Why Choose Cloth?

We as parents are always looking for the most comfortable blankets, clothing and bedding for our precious babies. We wouldn’t dream of wrapping our precious little ones in a blanket made from paper, glue and plastic; laden with chemicals and filled with a toxic gel, yet that is exactly what we do every time we put them into a disposable diaper. Given the fact that your baby’s diaper is in direct contact with your baby’s delicate skin 24/7 for 2-3 years, choosing which diaper to use is an important choice that many parents overlook. Cloth diapering has come a long way over the past several years and Blissful Booty diapers are as simple as any single-use diaper on the market today. No more scary pins or hot rubber pants. Soft, comfortable cloth diapers not only feel better against baby’s skin than the paper, glue and chemicals of disposables, they are recyclable and reusable. We know that our job is an important one, and we are committed to keeping our little clients comfortable and healthy.

It seems that more and more parents are becoming increasingly aware of the impact that our actions will have on the world that we will leave our children and grandchildren. As parents, we not only want to make our children more comfortable and healthy, but also to make positive choices for our environment. In this day and age of convenience and “use once and throw away” products, it is easy to forget about where they actually end up when we drop them on our curbs. Even if you recycle these disposable goods, it is still a lot of wasted energy to process and transport these disposable products. We should all try to avoid disposable products when possible and select reusable ones instead.

Click HERE to learn more about the environmental reasons to switch to cloth.
Click HERE to learn more about the health reasons to switch to cloth.

GIVEAWAY!

(I hope everyone understands the 'Make a Purchase' entries, if you do not please email me at Modern.Crunchy@yahoo.com with your question)

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Pretty Baby Accessories Review & Giveaway CLOSED

Pretty Baby Accessories is a specialty boutique known for creating custom and one of a kind items for baby, children, and mom. Their focus mainly on custom orders & their goal is to add a special touch to a unique accessory designed with your personality in mind!

Kristina from Pretty Baby Accessories sent me this ADORABLE bow tie to review!

I received it just in time to take some 6 Month snap shots of baby boy. This is the first shot I got, looove it!

I absolutely love this adorable bow tie!

The bow tie has a velcro closure on the back, making it easy to adjust the sizing so it isn't too tight & I love that you don't have to pull it over baby's head.






I don't have much to say about the Pretty Baby Accessories bow tie, except I love it! I have absolutely nothing bad to say :)

BUY: Visit Pretty Baby Accessories on Etsy!

GIVEAWAY