Cuties for Your Cutie (Diaper Review)

As I write this review, I'm smacked in the face with the reality that I've been changing diapers for 4 years. 4! Years! And we have a solid probably 2 years left. That will bring my grand total of diapering years to 6. 4 kids. 6 years. A heck of a lot of diapers I've changed.

I won't be sad when the diapers are gone.

In these past 4 years, I'm pretty confident in saying there isn't a diaper brand we haven't tried. Cloth and disposables, we've tried them all. I'm a big advocate for cloth and it's 100% my go-to diaper, but there have been times when we have had to use disposables. We also had a lot of skin issues with that baby B of ours. He had so many diaper rash issues, we went through a lot of different diapers, cloth and disposable, to find something to keep his skin clear. We still haven't really figured out a solution as far as diapers go, but there have definitely been some diapers that work better than others. Every diaper we've tried has had pros and cons, from fit to absorbency to staying on through a wiggly day or a long night, the diapering world is a big one.

So when a diaper brand that I hadn't even heard of was looking for kids to test out a diaper in Ben's size, I was curious! I'd like to try a new diaper and see how it works!

So first things first, size. Ben is right around 30lbs and 35" so he is right in the middle of the size 4 category. They fit nicely around his waist. They are cut a bit wider so I was worried they would be a little rough on his sensitive skin in his thighs but I haven't noticed it as an issue. Overall, I'd say they fit well and like other size 4 brands so no complaints there.

Style is something that is becoming more important in disposable diapers to a lot of people and I don't think that trend has been lost on the Cuties people. The tiger theme on the packaging and diaper is cute, but honestly, I could care less about design. We have a few designed cloth diapers but mostly solid colors. I like the different colors in cloth for babies but I used them a lot like bloomers on Amelia since they were so much fluffier. In disposables though, I really don't care at all. I put bloomers on if I want a  cute coordinating look under a dress and don't leave disposables on their own. If design is something you like, the tigers are cute, but they don't offer variety. I'm not sure about other sizes and their designs since I only tried the size 4 diapers, but I wouldn't rank Cuties up there with some other companies in top design/style diapers.

Now, the really important part to most people, price and function. The price I compared and Cuties diapers definitely fall on the lower end of the price scale. Their price is similar to a lot of store brand/generic diapers. Definitely cheaper than the big name brands. A LOT cheaper than the green/eco friendly diaper crowd. I'm happy to say though, the function I think falls a long the lines of the name brand diapers, which, in my opinion, out-preform all other disposable diapers.

The cheaper diapers and the green/eco friendly brands all have absorbency issues. We have tried many store brand cheaper diapers in several states and they have all leaked or fallen off. They sag a lot, cause more skin rashes than usual, and overall, you get what you pay for.

The chlorine free and eco friendly diapers are the best for skin rashes but their absorbency is meh. I also think a lot of their tabs to keep the diapers on are weak and don't work well with bigger wiggly kids. For the lack of skin issues, we have definitely stuck with those diapers when we can, but the price is a doozy when you're diapering 3 kids. Finding they have slipped off in the middle of the night and now you have to do an extra load of wash is definitely not quite as fun.

Cuties diapers tabs are easy to use and stay on strong. The diapers don't sag as much when they're wet, so when you have to stretch time between diaper changes because you're out and about, you don't have to worry as much about a saggy booty. They stay on well and absorb well for overnight use. No matter the wiggly, they keep their fit and don't cause irritation like other brands. The function for the price is definitely a great deal, in my opinion. One of the best options on the market!

So, overall, we really enjoyed Cuties diapers. I think they do exactly what they are designed to do and for the price, out-preform many other diapers. It's no wonder that they've been named as a Parent Tested, Parent Approved winner! If you haven't checked out PTPA yet, I highly recommend it when shopping around for baby and kid gear! Many of you know, I am a blogger on their site from time to time.

100 Days Cookbook!

If you've followed this blog for awhile, you know that I LOVE 100 Days of Real Food.

I've used or recreated quite a few of Lisa's recipes over the past year or so. We have experimented a lot in the past year+ on a diet that works best for me (for losing weight) and the kids (to get them to eat, gain weight, and not have any reactions). It's been an interesting journey that has led us down the vegan road for a bit, gluten free for awhile, but what I've found that what has worked best for us is just focusing on REAL food. No processed junk, no artificial flavor and colors, just good, homemade foods. We make everything from scratch these days, from bread, to chicken broth, and sweet treats (the kids favorite). A lot of recipes we have found online, even in the healthy eating categories, use a ton of artificial ingredients (canned soups, processed breadcrumbs, etc). So we've ditched it all and I'm not sure we could have done it without all the great advise and recipes from 100 Days of Real Food!

When I heard about her new cookbook, I was beyond excited! New recipes, lots of tips, meal planning, I couldn't wait! Then I heard she was looking for Cookbook Ambassadors...umm...yes, please! And I was beyond excited that I was one of the people she chose to send a copy of her book for a sneak peak! Eeeeek!

It was like Christmas day when the book arrived and I admit, I've gone a little crazy since receiving it, reading it, re-reading it, and of course, cooking. I'm so happy that I am able to share with all of you lovely readers a sneak peak of one of her cookbook recipes!

I couldn't share it without trying it out first, so of course, I had to make some for ourselves. And, let me tell you, you will not be disappointed! To quote Amelia: "Mommy, this bread...it has raisins in it! It's SOOO GOOD!"

And even better news, this is just 1 of 100 amazing recipes! Some of them are old classics, like her crock pot chicken, but a lot of new fun things I'm excited to try! I have a lot of the ingredients on hand for her summer dinner meal plan and I'm excited to spend the next week trying new recipes from her book every day!

My favorite part of her blog and her new book, all of the recipes are simple! You don't need a ton of specialty ingredients from the health food store that you've never heard of, you don't need to be an expert chef, ANYONE can make great food, from whole foods and simple ingredients! The recipe are also VERY kid friendly! It's food the whole family can enjoy and even has helped encourage my kids to try new vegetables.

So if you haven't ordered a copy of Lisa's new cookbook yet, you need to! Get to it! I promise you will not be disappointed! Happy Cooking!






Disclaimer: I was sent a copy 100 Days Of Real Food Cookbook free of charge to review and share. All opinions are entirely my own though! I was no paid to rave about this book, it just comes so natural.

Citrus Lane Review

Disclaimer: I was not paid or asked to promote Citrus Lane for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a free box using a promotion I found online and took this opportunity to receive a box and share my thoughts on it with my blog readers.

On my stumblings around on the internet I found a promotion for a Citrus Lane box and thought it would be fun to try! I have seen friends getting Citrus Lane (or similar monthly box deals) and had always been curious if it was worth the money or not. Since it didn't cost me any money, I figured now would be a good chance to see if it was worth continuing a subscription or not.

We received our first box on Saturday and I'm happy to say, it was a nice little treat. When signing up you can put gender and age of your children. I obviously, had a few options, and decided I would get a box suited for Ben and put his birthdate in there. I must say, for a newly one year old, the box was great!

What was in our box...

Water Bugs from Boon
Silicone Bowl from Oogaa
Starlight Sailor from Barefoot Books
Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream from Juice Beauty

Overall, I was pretty excited about the box and it's contents.

I was super excited for the hand cream as a little treat for mom ;) But I would have definitely preferred a different lotion to try on the kids (especially since both of my boys have such skin issues and we're always looking for a new cream that will work for them).

The Oogaa bowl looks great! We haven't tried it yet, but I'm excited to give it a shot at dinner tonight. We definitely break a lot of plastic type bowls and this one being BPA, harsh chemical, phthalates free, seems like a great option! It's also microwave, oven, dishwasher, freezer safe. Major score!

Starlight Sailor is a super sweet book! I really enjoy Barefoot Books since I was first exposed to it during story time at the library when the twins were wee little ones. The Animal Boogie is their personal favorite. I think all 3 kids will enjoy this during story time.

The Water Bugs might be my favorite for Ben. It's totally age appropriate, great with a good bubble bath, and something that will be good for his development and for fun. I'm always looking for good bath toys that won't get moldy inside and will be a fun without encouraging too much splashing. The twins have lately been into coloring and painting in the tub, but Ben will still eat the paints/crayons, so I think this is a great toy for him! Major win Citrus Lane. Good job.

Overall, I was only really super excited about the 1 item. While the others are great and things I'd definitely like to try, I wasn't totally blown away. Is it worth the $29/month subscription? I'd say not. If you did get a 6 month subscription, I think it's definitely worth the $21/month price. So that would definitely be the best way to go if you are going to keep up with Citrus Lane. I'm still not decided if I'm going to be an every month subscriber. I wish you could pay the lower price and just get a box from time to time for a special treat without having to get a box every single month.

I do love their shop and will continue to check it out when I'm looking for birthday presents for family and friends. They have some great products, and some of our already favorites. You can check out what you'd like by age and price range, making it easy to get the right gift.

If you're like me and not sure how you feel about the monthly cost, you can get 50% off of your first month from clicking on my referral link HERE. It's definitely worth checking out and the excitement of a box of goodies for your kids is a lot of fun too ;)