Thursday, January 13, 2011

Wool Dryer Balls -- A Fast-track and Easy road to Green!

Posted by lauren at 9:38 PM 1 comments
Wool Dryer Balls -- A Fast-track and Easy road to Green! 
By Lauren Lamoreaux

Call me a skeptic, but I have never been one to believe everything I see. (Fade into just about any TV infomercial here.) And being someone who grew up in the “I’ll destroy the earth if I want to” era has certainly played its role in my reluctant shift into all things Green. But when I come across a product that #1 saves me time and attitude problems and #2 is actually Green, I get excited.


Nowadays my family looks for just about any way we can easily promote saving this planet we call home, especially if it means more convenience to us. (Let’s be honest here... How many of us don’t live a hectic and whirlwind-paced life?) 
Our first step in the cleaning arena of our home to go Green was the laundry. And to be perfectly honest yet again, our main concern was saving. Not the earth, money. We invested in the High Efficiency washer and dryers because we saw just how much money we could save each year by using them. They use much less energy and water, which was dollar signs to us. Now we have learned through our Green journeying, just how great this is for the environment. Water and energy conservation while cleaning my clothes better than before? Yes, please!
The only problem we found with our units was that it seemed our washer seemed to fit more than the dryer did. Each time we would walk allll the way to the basement to check, it was the same results: our jeans were still wet. Enter the mighty dryer balls! Now, I had seen the “As Seen on TV” Dryer Balls and wondered... but I never could bring myself to purchase them. Thankfully (for this blog, anyway), I have friends. And some of these friends had actually believed what they saw and gave them a try. Too good to be true? Yep. As told to me, the plastic/rubber dryer balls didn't do half as much as the ads claimed.
How do they work? It’s simple. The balls ping-pong throughout the drying cycle, slamming into the clothes, which creates an indentation, allowing for better circulation among the clothes. Wool not only has anti-static properties, which cuts down on static cling, but it also is very absorbent. All of this equals a faster, more efficient drying cycle.

I was recently given a great opportunity to try out some all-natural Wool Dryer Balls. This particular brand is called "Baby Bear Dryer Balls," and they were better than I expected. Our jeans came out of the dryer’s normal-length cycle... get this: DRY! Our static cling wasn’t such a problem anymore, and there was nothing to be concerned about: no chemicals to irritate, no static cling to zap, no jeans to throw back in for another 10-15 minutes. They even “catch” pesky hair that made it into the dryer. And the best part is that with the dryer balls, our drying time is reduced by up to ten minutes: our dryer has turned Green! And at around $25 for four balls (which is what I tested), our pocketbooks are happy as well.
I give all-natural Wool Dryer Balls an amazing two thumbs up. They are cost-effective and easy to use. Simply throw them in with your wet clothes. Done. If you’re living locally, you will love this: you can purchase these in Downtown Racine, WI at RG Natural Babies. They are also available at My Baby Pumpkin in Watertown, WI. What’s best is they are made in Wisconsin! So grab some of these wonders next time you’re out, and please, folks, stay dry!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Tuck & Go Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

Posted by Green Team at 8:43 PM 89 comments
Okay - here is my far past due review on the Monkey Doodlez NEW Tuck & Go Diaper! I first began using it in July, so I did want to give some fair time before reviewing it... and then I may have forgotten a bit (sorry Cheryl!!!)

Monkey Doodlez NEW Tuck and Go(TAG) Cloth Diaper has several rave reviews! I've had several customers come in and try one set... and come back for more! This is one of the most versatile diapering system ever - The system as a unit offers unsurpassed performance and leak protection without compromising fit or adding unnecessary bulk! Who could ask for a better diaper???

So here is the description:

The TAG System is getting rave reviews by new and experienced Moms alike!

Easy to Use. Revolutionary. Functional.

How does this sytem work? The TAG is comprised of two pieces - a waterproof outer shell and a luxiously soft inner pad. The Tuck and Go™ cover is uniquely designed to allow the pad to be easily yet securely tucked in at the front and back edge, making it extremely simple and efficient. Siimply tuck the pad into the cover and fasten the diaper onto your baby. There are no extra steps and the velcro closures make it both infinitely adjustable and intuitive to use.

When it's time to change the diaper, remove the shell from the baby, hang on to the outside cover, hold it over your pail, turn it over and the pad falls right out. This eliminates the possibility or necessity of touching wet or dirty inserts.

The front and back of the cover as well as the elastic at the leg casings are lined with soft microfleece to ensure optimum comfort and the edges of the tuck zones are gently gathered to keep everything in place.The Unique design creates a natural barrier to moisture for unsurpassed leak protection.

The waterproof cover adjusts to accommodate a larger size range while using the same pad and without compromising fit or adding unnecessary bulk. This makes this a highly functional yet trim diapering solution.

The Tuck and Go™ cover can be used with the TAG pads or over prefolds or fitted diapers.

The pad is made from a blend of 70% Bamboo Rayon, 28% Organic Cotton and 2% Polyester for optimum absorbency, breathability and comfort, with silky soft velour next to baby's skin.

The pad is gently gathered at the legs for the best fit, allowing the diaper to better cradle baby's bottom and adds a gentle barrier to help prevent leaks. The elastic is neatly stitched inside the pad so it will never touch baby's delicate skin.

Sizing for Covers and Pads:

  • Small fits babies 6-18lbs
  • Medium fits babies 12-28lbs
  • Medium Long fits babies 18-35 lbs
  • Large fits babies 30-45 lbs

So, Noah started using the Medium Long when he was around 22lbs. I could put it on the snap down, however, the rise was pretty short, so we have it on the full setting. One thing I will say is I'm not sure if it will fit him til he is 35lbs, he is around 26lbs now... however I do also think it would have fit him when he was around 16lbs, maybe even 15. I think that overall for any diaper, the size is going to be different on any baby based on their build.

Pros - The Bamboo Blend Insert is SUPER absorbent! WOW - I can't believe how heavy it has been after use and not a single leak. I have been tempted to do a before and after weight.... however I have not gotten around to it. I think it would work well for night time - or if you have a really heave wetter, you could probably use 2 of the inserts for that extra protection. I have used it for night time - in which it was super soaked and HEAVY, however, my son always has a tendency to wake up sometime between 4-6 for a diaper change no matter how dry or wet his diaper is. I think it's our pattern we developed somehow.

I love the fleece around the covers, it adds a nice touch. And the inserts tuck nicely inside. You can even use these covers with prefolds or fitteds if you like! We have personally used it with prefolds and it works great - however... we do prefer using the TAG inserts since it isn't as bulky. Now, for those of you that like using the disposable inserts, I am positive those would also fit nicely inside of that to use! I have no experience with the disposable inserts because if I can, I will stick to the cloth, but I knew some might wonder about that!

I have also been using the TAG Inserts in my pocket diapers and it works fabulously! I'm sure I could even place them directly on another cover in a pinch, but I know they stay a lot more secure in place in the TAG Diaper Cover!

The only downfall I find of the diaper is that I'm a Pocket and All In one gal! I definitely prefer this diaper over prefolds and covers, but in all reality, I like to use my diaper once and put the whole thing in the pail liner. But this is definitely a simple and economic solution for cloth diapering!

Now... (drum roll please)... for the giveaway... I have 1 ML Butter Cover and 1 ML TAG insert to giveaway - and I'm throwing in a credit for a Free cover with a purchase of a set of inserts for the winner when you want to come back and buy more :)

1st and must do entry - Please comment below and tell me what sounds interesting about the TAG diaper

Extra entries
*Like Monkey Doodlez on Facebook and comment here
*Like RG Natural Babies on Facebook and comment here
*Post on Facebook about the giveaway (with a link to the blog) and link the comment here (you should be able to change the settings on that post so others can see it, or make sure it links with @RG Natural Babies and/or @Monkey Doodlez
*Tweet the Giveaway (with a link to the blog) @RGNaturalBabies and link your tweet here on a separate comment - may do so once daily for an entry! (but feel free to tweet it more often :) )
*Purchase any Monkey Doodlez Item at RG Natural Babies and comment with your order number here!

The drawing ends Friday October 8th - Please be sure to check back so that I can send your diaper out - I will be able to ship it out the 9th if the winner responds quickly, otherwise, I won't be able to ship it out until the 18th!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Winner - Bug Spray

Posted by Green Team at 12:00 PM 0 comments
We have a winner on the bug spray!

#22 was drawn - Karen P! Congratulations!

Now, next go around, we will soon be doing a review and giveaway on Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go Diaper - I hope more of you will participate!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

So it's that time... what time? Oh yeah, Giveaway time!

Posted by Green Team at 9:25 PM 32 comments
Well, since no one other than my dear twitter friend Nikki responded to my last post (hmmm, anyone out there?), I will heed her advice for this next giveaway.

This is an awesome item as it's great for kids and adults! How many of you hate to spray commercial bug spray on your kids and even yourselves? I know I struggled with that for years. Before I was even "crunchy," as some would know call me (which I still never will understand that term along with "granola"... I just say natural or green (which green still doesn't make complete sense, but now your really seeing my over analytical personality come through)) there were certain things I never cared for. I didn't like taking a lot of medicines in general and I was not a fan of spraying deet and chemical filled bug spray on me. However, I did it as I also could not stand mosquito bites - and maybe it's my blood type or something, but they flock to me. Even still if we were to go outside unsprayed in a mosquito filled night for say 5 minutes, my husband might get 2-3 bites, I'd come in with 10-12.

Now, I haven't tried that experiment, but I know it's true. And they itch and get big and it's just no fun. A few years ago we started making our own bug spray with some Purification Essential Oil and water and to my husbands surprise, it worked great! Now some of the same ingredients along with others to stabilize it a little more, we carry the Beat It! Bug Spray. We have been using it this year and love it! I'm not going to list the ingredients here because I want you to go look at the product for yourself, I'm sneaky like that, but will be for a good reason.

Great thing about this item, is it is safe for kids and babies! Of course be sure to not get it in their eyes. It will sting. Had an unfortunate incident where hubby was holding Noah and I asked him to blow on his eyes so he'll close them (though I was just spraying the back of his head/neck area) and well, I sprayed, but didn't think to tell hubby to close his eyes and poor thing, his eyes were burning for a couple minutes. They are just fine now, but that was not fun for him.

OH and I don't know how many customers I have had come into the store and ask about a natural bug spray that is safe for kids, I tell them about this and they say "and does it actually work? Because we've tried "x, y, or z" and it didn't actually work" - well I guarantee, this one DOES!

And on that note, we're gonna give one bottle of the 4 oz bug spray away for a lucky winner to try. Mosquito season is not over yet unfortunately so if you don't win this one, pick one up for yourself too! AND if you are in store, I can do refills for less than what the original bottle costs! How great is that!? Then the bottle can be reused and less waste for all!

Anyhow, how do you win?

First Entry and must do before others:
Go to the Beat it Bug Spray page and comment here with an ingredient that is in the Bug Spray

Other possible entries after 1st is done:
~Tweet the Giveaway @RGNaturalBabies and comment here - allowed once daily for entry, but may tweet several times daily
~Fan RG Natural Babies on Facebook and comment here
~Put a post on your facebook page about the giveaway, make it @RG Natural Babies so it links to the fan page and comment here that you did that! By having it link with the @RG... I will be able to confirm it when it shows up on the fan page- one entry only
~Blog about the giveaway, comment here and put the link to the blog so I can confirm!

Giveaway ends... July 27! Please make sure I have a way to contact you in case you win!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Sorry it's been so long

Posted by Green Team at 1:13 PM 2 comments
To all of our readers - we are sorry for not keeping up with our blog. We still have a lot of vision, goals and plans for this blog, just life has limited time a lot.

I, Michelle have been busy opening up our new store front, RG Natural Babies, in Racine, Wisconsin. We had our Grand Opening event on May 28th and have been blessed with the opportunity to share cloth diapers with more people. And while many still don't want to go that route, we have had numerous sales of the reusable swim diapers, which I still count as a success as they keep several swim disposables out of the land fills!

We feel like we are still trying to get settled in - it has been a lot of work and many hours of sacrifice. But we are blessed by the support we have received. It will take a lot of time to grow our business, but there is so much encouragement and a lot of people who have expressed how glad they are that we have opened this store here. We pray that it continues to grow.

Besides the swim diapers, a couple more popular items have been the Natural Sun Screen and Bug Spray that we carry - I must say, these work awesome!

Kristin hasn't had as much time to post either. You can however find her occasionally at the Brookfield Farmers Market on Saturday Mornings. She was off for a few weeks as the volleyball team she coaches made it to Nationals and she had the opportunity to take them down to Florida. They placed 33 out of 127! Way to go Kristin!

She is also working on a new cart for her online store, My Baby Pumpkin, which is going to have a new awesome design, she is enjoying more outside time with her kids this summer, and has a new project she's working on that she'll be sure to announce soon :)

We are excited to say we should be updating more frequently than we have even if life doesn't slow down. AND of course ahead this week will be a giveaway... of what is still being decided as there are so many great options to choose from! I'm thinking either a diaper or possibly one of the summer necessities like bug spray or sun screen - any thoughts and I'd be happy to listen :)

Have a blessed day and I'm happy to be posting again and getting back to making Wisconsin a greener place!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Bringing Chickens to the City

Posted by Green Team at 11:51 PM 0 comments
In Racine, WI - families are trying to make it legal to have chickens in their back yard. Families want to teach their kids where there food comes from, be able to provide food that they know is safe, and what a better way than starting with eggs from a chicken!

Here is the website link with more accurate information than what I can provide: http://bellecitychickens.org/index.php/Main_Page

People of course have concerns, but there are guidelines set forth and regulations to having the chickens. I am curious what you think on the matter? But before commenting, please be sure to read through the website so there are no assumptions. And please be respectful.

Thank you!

Friday, April 30, 2010

We REACHED 100!

Posted by Green Team at 4:11 PM 0 comments
We have reached 100 followers! And we are giving away a $10 gift certificate to My Baby Pumpkin, LLC! Using Random Integer we selected number 68 and the winner is Amanda Prim. You have 48 hours to contact my at kristin@mybabypumpkin.com Thank you everyone!
 

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