~Bambo Nature Diapers Review & GIVEAWAY!

***CLOSED! WINNER:  Andie (Goodbye Disposable, Hello Cloth) You have 48hours to respond or another winner will be chosen***

When I made the switch to cloth diapers, I swore I would never turn back to disposables. There was no way I could put my baby in a diaper containing potentially harmful substances, nor did I want to destroy our environment. Our family has a big trip coming up and we will be out of town, staying at a hotel for 4 days. To top it off we will be driving the 6 hours each way to our destination. This was freaking me out because I had no idea how we would get through 4 days by using only cloth, when there would be nowhere to wash the diapers and frankly my stash is not very big. Then at a recent event for a friend’s magazine launch party, I met the owner of the USA division for Bambo Nature Diapers. We chatted a bit about the pros and cons of cloth and disposable’s. He went on to tell me about how Bambo Diapers are the ONLY certified eco-label baby diaper in the world, and how the only part of the diaper that is not compostable is the small pull-tab. It has no harsh chemicals, and even their facilities are environmentally friendly. They are the only diaper to have been awarded the very prestigious Nordic Swan Eco-Label.

I was extremely intrigued. I had to try this diaper out for myself. I was given a bag of Bambo diapers. I am very impressed. Right out of the bag, there is a noticeable difference. They are so much softer than disposables, and they don’t have that crunchy sound! The size 3 also has a super cute monkey design on it too. I decided to try them out for overnight in preparation of our family trip. One of the things I love about cloth is my baby hardly ever has leaks at night time, unlike when we used the disposables. I was amazed in the morning, No leaks. I wanted to take it a step further, and see if I squeezed the diaper over my toilet how much would leak out. I had to squeeze VERY hard to make a few drops come out. These diapers also have a wet-ness indicator, so there is no confusion on whether or not your baby needs a diaper change. I don’t know how many times Grandma has changed an empty diaper.

I did some research to find out how these compare in price to other diapers.
- Bambo Natural size 1 bag of 28- 10.50 comes to .37 cents a diaper.
-Seventh Generation size 1 bag of 44- 10.99 comes to .25 cents a diaper.
-Huggies Natural size 1 bag of 33 – 11.99 comes to .36 cents a diaper.

I love using my cloth diapers, and will do so until my babies are potty-trained, but I will defiantly be keeping a few bags of these great diapers around for days that it is more practical for our family (like our upcoming trip). These are also great for the mommas that simply do not want to cloth for whatever that reason may be. This is a great way to use disposables guilt-free. The extra cost of these diapers is defiantly worth it in my opinion, especially as I will only be using them on occasion.

Giveaway TIME!! One LUCKY person will WIN their very own package of Bambo Nature Diapers in the size of their choice!

Mandatory Entry:  

+1 Follow Maternal Instincts via Google Friend Connect. (I will check..)

-Make sure to leave your email address for EACH comment you leave!-

Extra Entries:

+1 Like Bambo Nature Page on facebook and thank them for the giveaway.

+1 Visit Bambo Nature Site and tell me which size you will choose if you win.

+2 Post about the giveaway on Facebook page tagging Maternal Instincts including a link to the giveaway - MAKE SURE TO STATE THE GIVEAWAY IS ON A BLOG & include link to it - can be done daily

-Contest ends on June 21st @ 11:59 pm PST Open to USA.

*This post was written for Bambo Nature Diapers who provided the complimentary product for review & giveaway in exchange for my honest opinions..

Top 3 Beauty Secrets!

Okay I used to be a model. I did all sorts of modeling; editorial, fashion, swimwear, beauty, runway, and maternity. Over the years I have learned many tips and tricks; here are my top 3:

1.       (This is the MOST important tip, so pay close attention) Ask most ‘supermodels’ what their secret is and they will tell you …. They Drink Lots of WATER! I am talking at least 2 liters a day.. Aim for 3 if you can. Not only will this make your skin look amazing, drinking this much water will make you glow and feel great (it will also help you avoid sodas).

2.       Wash off your make-up before bed. I admit I was not always the best example when it came to washing off my make-up, but then I found baby wipes! They are amazing at taking off make-up and leave your skin feeling clean and refreshed. MAC also has a make-up remover wipe for sale if you feel weird about using a baby wipe.

3.       You are what you eat. Seriously. If you eat greasy, fried crap all the time, you will look and feel like crap! I am not saying you have to give up your prized ‘ fill-in-the-blank’, but what I am saying is limit it. The majority of your food intake should be from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and natural foods. NOT processed foods. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Do not use your kids as an excuses to buy junk food and remember  If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it!

Cloth Diaper Quest Part 2: Dirties on Diapering

Okay so now you are ready to start cloth diapering, CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS and welcome to the club! You probably have chosen a few different brands to try, have done all the pre-washing that may be needed (Bamboo and hemp types need to be pre-washed several times before first use), and you are all set to go! Then you realise that your baby is going to.... GASP.... poop in your brand new beautiful cloth diapers! Well don't worry, there are several solutions to keeping your diapers stain free, and to help you clean up the messy poop. The easiest poop to clean is an exclusively breast feed baby's poop, they are completely water soluble and require no special pre-treatment or rinsing. (Another benefit to breastfeeding.) One of the most popular options for handling all other poop in a cloth diaper is a 'Diaper Sprayer'. This is a shower-head looking thing that attaches to your toilet, and literally sprays the poop off into the toilet. I personally have not bought one yet, but I have a shop sink in my laundry room to help clean messes. Also you can buy flushable diaper liners. There are several different brands that you can use such as Bummis bio-soft liners. They are flushable diaper liners that make clean up a breeze. You simply use the Bio-Soft liners to absorb the solid waste - and then you simply discard the soiled liner in the toilet and flush away the mess. They do not irritate baby's skin and are safe against their skin.

You should always wash the diapers with a cloth-diaper safe detergent such as 'Rockin Green Detergent' in cold water first to resist stains, and then followed by a hot wash to sterilize. I hang dry my diapers on a line that I made my hubby put up in the back yard. This also helps get rid of any unwanted stains; it's called "sunning".  Sometimes when I am in a rush, I will dry the diapers on low-medium heat in the dryer, but doing this all the time can wear out the elastic sooner.

Using cloth diapers really keeps the smell in a lot better than disposable diapers do. I have noticed that even when my son poops I cannot really smell it without putting my nose to his butt. (Come on moms, you know you do that sometimes too! haha)

I absolutely LOVE cloth diapering and would not go back to disposables for anything. It has almost become an addiction, picking out cute new colors/patterns to put on my baby's bum. I love seeing my boys fluffy bottom, and showing his diapers off to the neighborhood moms. Cloth diapering is a lot more fun than I could have ever imagined. I used to hate doing laundry, but now I find myself really enjoying folding and stuffing my pocket diapers (shhhh don't tell my husband!). I feel a sense of accomplishment when all my fluffy stash of cloth diapers is all neatly put away in the basket. It also feels good to know that we are doing our part to help the environment. Did I mention how cute they are?

 One last thing I would also like to point out is most disposable diapers tell you to flush the poop down the toilet before throwing them away anyway.