Juicy Baby Designs Review

"Juicy Baby Designs specializes in Nursing covers, Nursing pads, and Burp cloths & Bibs for your "juicy" baby." They also carry Bumgenius brand cloth diapers and Crunchy Clean detergent.

Ruthann, creator of Juicy Baby Designs, contacted me about doing a review of her burp cloths or "juice catchers". I let her know that I would be happy to review and we worked out the details. Ruthann sent me not one, but two of her burp cloths. These could not have come at a more perfect time. Bug is currently teething and since she chews on everything, there are pools of drool throughout our house. Not to mention my shirt sleeves often look like I sweat all the time.

About the Designer (taken from website):

"I am the proud mama of a sweet baby boy, and the story of Juicy Baby Designs starts about 3am one bleary-eyed morning...after what seemed like the hundredth burp cloth and bib I had used to clean up my baby boy's spit-up, I sat wondering if there might be a better solution to my messy plight! In the three short months since my son was born, my husband and I had often found ourselves covered in spit-up, having to change outfits (both ours and baby's) only after the burp cloth and/or bib had failed to collect all the milky spit and drool! I called my son my "juicy boy", because he spit up just about every time he nursed and often between feedings, too! The more I thought about it, the more I was inspired by the idea of super quick absorbent burp cloths and bibs! My son's nickname "juicy boy" was the perfect inspiration for my line of burp cloths and bibs and "Juicy Baby Designs" was born.

About the Product:

These burp cloths are contoured to fit against the neck so that they stay in place. They are made of flannel, ProCool wicking jersey, and zorb. This combination makes these burp cloths super absorbent. I was sent a "Lil Juicer" for regular messes in Pink Giraffe print and a "Juice Catcher" for really "juicy" babies in Pink & Flowers print. At Juicy Baby Designs, you get to choose the flannel print that you would like for your burp cloths.

The Review:

We put these burp cloths through many tests and washes. Bug chews on them, throws them around and even sleeps with the "Lil Juicer"! These burp cloths show no signs of wear or tear which really impressed me. The contoured shape fit both my shoulder and J's and did help the cloth stay in place. One bonus of the contoured shape is that it makes the burp cloth into a handy changing pad for emergencies. The absorbency of the "Lil Juicer" worked well for nursing sessions. Bug often falls asleep nursing and the lighter burp cloth kept drool from soaking my shirt as I transitioned her to my shoulder. The heavy-duty "Juice Catcher" really holds a lot of liquid! We had one particularly drool covered day and this little bad boy really came through! I rigged the burp cloth into a make shift bib and after 30 minutes of hardcore drooling Bug's shirt was bone dry. That made for one happy mommy and baby :) If you are looking for a strong, absorbent burp cloth then head on over to http://www.juicybabydesigns.com/.

I received two Juicy Baby Designs burp cloths free of charge in exchange for my review. This, however, in no way affected the review. Everything is 100% my own opinion.

Rockin' Green Hard Rock Review

I've been having stink issues with Bug's diapers in recent weeks. It has been so bad that I have had to wash diapers EVERY day! I began to wonder what was stinking up my sweet baby's diapers, so I went to the one place I knew could help: the Twitter cloth diapers chat on Mondays. After some discussion I came to a few conclusions. A. I have hard water, B. Bug's diapers most likely have urine buildup (ahh, that would be the perm solution stench I keep smelling) and C. I also might have a detergent buildup problem. So, I stripped Bug's diapers and gave them a good, long soak in the sun. This worked for about two weeks before the stink began to rear it's ugly head again. It was back to stripping, wearing, washing, stripping, wearing, washing, stripping...well, you get the idea. A few cloth diaper mamas suggested giving Rockin' Green detergent a try because they had great success with the soap. As luck would have it Kim, the wonderful mama behind Rockin' Green, was looking for mom bloggers with hard water to review the new Hard Rock formula. I sent Kim my information and she sent along a sample of Hard Rock.

The Review:

I immediately put Hard Rock the test with a mini-soak of Bug's diapers. They came out of the dryer smelling cleaner than I thought possible. And, at the end of the day.....still no stink! Score one for Rockin' Green. I waited the normal two days before washing the diapers and prepared myself for them to stink after they were removed from the dryer. There was still no ammonia stench! Score two for Rockin' Green. I even experimented and split Bug's diapers into two loads. I washed one with Rockin' Green and one with our current cloth diaper detergent. Our current detergent did not even come close to the cleaning power of Rockin' Green.
My favorite thing about Rockin' Green's Hard Rock version is that Bug's cute, little bottom did not break out in a rash like it has with the other detergents we have used. So if you are looking for a cloth diaper detergent and you have hard water problems, let me recommend Rockin' Green Hard Rock. Your diapers will thank you, trust me!

This review is 100% my own opinion. I did receive a free sample of Rockin' Green Hard Rock detergent but that in no way affected my review.

My Princess Party To Go Review and Giveaway (3/12)

*This Giveaway is now Closed*

My oldest daughter, BooBoo, loves to play princess. She will spend hours dressing up in frilly dresses and heels, putting on her tiaras and making anyone in the room her "prince". Lately she has become obsessed with pretending she is Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. With a little girly girl like her the idea of the Princess Party in a Bag from My Princess Party To Go sounded inviting. So I contacted My Princess Party to Go about a blog review and giveaway. I was sent the Sheer Fun Princess Party in a Bag to review. BooBoo was so excited when it arrived that she threw everything on and wore it all day! (She gets very excited when the mail is for her) She also had J wear one of the two crowns that come with the package. Unfortunately, he was not willing to let me take a picture for you fine readers. What did I think about the Princess in a Bag? My Review:

I received the Sheer Fun Princess Party in a Bag in Blue. This product comes in a sheer Organza bag and includes: 1-Tulle Tutu, 1-Jewel Crown Wand, 1-Sparkling Tiara(matches wand), 1-Craft Foam Tiara w/stick on jewels to decorate.

I was very pleased with the quality of the tutu. I was expecting rough, itchy tulle like the kind you find on Halloween costumes but this tulle is so soft. The waistband is sewn together with smooth, satiny material which is great for BooBoo since she likes to wear hers sans leggings. The wand and sparking tiara have jewels that make the color of the tutu. They also have color matched maribou on them which I think really pull the princess outfit together. The foam tiara is a very nice addition to the princess bag. This gives little ones the chance to make their own unique crown. The jewels for the foam tiara are stick-on so all you have to do is pull off the backing and place it on the tiara. Easy peazy.

I was pleasantly surprised by the entire Princess Party in a Bag. This would make a wonderful gift favor at any princess party. The best part about My Princess Party To Go is that they many different Party in a Bag choices (even packages for boys!). I love the Sheer Fun Fairy Party in a Bag and may purchase it for BooBoo down the road.

Want to win a Princess Party Bag for the little girl in your life? My Party Princess to Go is giving one of my lucky readers their own Sheer Fun Princess Party Bag.

For your first entry head on over to My Princess Party and check out their Sheer Fun product line. Come back here and leave a comment letting my know which Sheer Fun product is your favorite. (THIS IS MANDATORY!) *Remember to leave a valid email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you win.

Want extra entries? Of course you do!

1. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)

2. Follow My Princess Party on Twitter. (1 entry)

3. Follow me on Twitter. (1 entry)

4. Become a Fan of My Princess Party on Facebook (1 entry)

5. Tweet this giveaway. Make sure to include @graceandbrynley, @MyPrincessParty and link the URL back to here. (1x daily)

This giveaway is open to US residents in the 48 continental states and will end on 3/12/10 @ 11:59pm EST. The winner will be drawn via random.org and will be contacted by email. You will have 48 hours to claim your prize or I will have to draw a new winner. Again, remember to leave a valid email address with your comments and leave a separate comment for each entry.

*I received a Sheer Fun Princess Party Bag in exchange for my review. This in no way affected my review and this review is my own honest opinion.

Danny the Dragon Book and CD Review

One thing that you should know about me is that I LOVE books and reading. I can often be found at the local library with the girls just searching the endless rows. I cannot get enough of the smell of the ink and the feel of the pages. I love losing myself in the fictional stories and gaining new insight when sifting through a biography. I am so thankful that BooBoo has already developed a love for books. I normally have to read 5-6 stories to her at bedtime before she is completely satisfied. Bug is still too young to know what books are but I still read to her everyday so that maybe she will also love reading. Why am I telling you this? I was recently contacted by the Imagination Publishing Group to review the children's book Danny the Dragon "Meets Jimmy".

Danny the Dragon "Meets Jimmy", written by Tina Turbin and illustrated by Aija Jasuna, was a nominee for Best Children's Picture Book of 2009. Danny the Dragon is the story of Danny and his friend and navigator, Skipper, and their encounter with a young boy named Jimmy. Jimmy finds a seashell at the beach one day and learns later that inside live Danny and Skipper. Danny and Skipper have dinner with Jimmy and his family and later, they play catch with the neighborhood children. Jimmy even asks them to stay at his house for awhile, with his parents permission of course. Without giving away too much of the story, Danny and Skipper find acceptance from Jimmy, his family and his friends. This story looks to teach children about acceptance of others, no matter what their appearance. The storyline is a wonderful reminder of the innocence of children and how we as parents are the ones who show our children how to be accepting of others.

BooBoo loved this book and asked me to read it 4 times the minute it arrived. She enjoyed the story and the beautiful illustrations. I was impressed by those same illustrations, they were colorful and very engaging for young children. Unlike some of BooBoo's books, she never lost interest in this story. She had question after question for me to answer and that is what I love about reading to her, she is always ready to learn something new. When I asked her what her favorite part was she said that it was when the shell first "talked".

We also had the opportunity to review the DREAMS CD what is an accompaniment to Danny the Dragon. The first track on the disc is Danny the Dragon in its entirety. BooBoo liked that she could "follow" along in the book as she listened to the story. The rest of the CD is filled with beautiful songs that flow with the story. J who is our resident "music buff" was very impressed with the quality of the CD. This CD actually came in handy on one long car ride, keeping both BooBoo and Bug entertained.

Danny the Dragon has quickly become a favorite in our home and is one book I feel confident recommending to other families. We cannot wait for the next installment of Danny the Dragon.

About the Author:

From the Danny the Dragon website:

"Tina Turbin wrote her first story at the age of 16, and has since gone on to enjoy many years of working with and helping children and their families. Tina is a tireless advocate for children and families with intense research and involvement in children's education, literature, celiac disease, allergies and gluten-free issues. Tina's research led her to writing about these topics, leading to her extensive interviews and revelation in these fields. She has since become a passionate and tireless supporter in the effort to raise awareness on these issues. Tina dedicates herself to widespread activism with extremely reputable organizations, while she continues to write delightful children's books.

As a prolific researcher and writer, Tina lends her expertise to a variety of weekly publications, radio shows, websites and launched her own highly successful gluten-free resource website http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info/.

Tina takes great pleasure in her abilities as an award-winning author, humanitarian, researcher and friend to many. Read more about Tina Turbin at her sight http://TinaTurbin.com."

You can purchase Danny the Dragon and the CD DREAMS at http://DannyTheDragon.com.

I received both a copy of Danny the Dragon and the DREAMS CD in exchange for my review. This in no way swayed my opinion and this is my honest review.

Playful Foaming Wash Review, Giveaway and Coupon Code

*This Giveaway is now Closed*
I recently had the opportunity to try Episencial's Playful Foaming Wash. This product is from the Episencial skin care line that SproutBaby just began carrying. All of the products in this line are inspired by Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the many fruits from the story. Not only are there body washes but lotion, diaper rash cream, face balm and sunscreen! All products are made from natural ingredients and as the bottles state : safe for ages 0-150.

I received my sample of the foaming wash with my regular mail and the minute I opened the package BooBoo started hounding me to know what it was. I told her that Mommy got a sample of bath wash for her to try. That girl almost ran me over trying to get into the bathroom! BooBoo LOVES bathtime so I decided that it was fine for her to take her bath at 11am. After BooBoo was settled in the bath I opened up the foaming wash to use on her hair. While the product is technically fragrance free, it is made with orange extract so it actually had a delicious citrus smell to it. BooBoo enjoyed the picture of the Hungry Caterpillar on the package. The wash did foam up nicely and one thing BooBoo loves about bathtime is bubbles. It also washed off cleanly, no weird residue. BooBoo's hair felt softer after having been washed with this product.

What I liked best about this product was that it was made with sensitive skin in mind. Both BooBoo and Bug have eczema and most baby wash breaks out their little bodies but with the Playful Foaming wash that was not a problem. This is a product that I would definitely purchase for my girls and one that I would recommend to anyone with sensitive skin issues.

How would you like to try one of Episcensial's skin care products?

SproutBaby is giving one of you lovely readers a bottle of Episcensial Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath to use with your little ones. This bubble bath is made with natural ingredients like organic peaches, plums and oat. So not only is it gentle enough for the most sensitive skin but it smells delicious too. Even the bottle is biodegradable! You can also visit SproutBaby's website now through March 31 and using code SBBL151 receive 15% off your first purchase!

What do you need to do to win?
For your MANDATORY first entry, visit SproutBaby and check out the Episencial skin care line. Come back and leave me a comment letting me know which product from the line you would like to try.
Make sure to leave a valid email address where I can contact you if you win.

Want extra entries?

1. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)

2. Follow me on Twitter and make sure to leave your Twitter name. (1 entry)

3. Follow SproutBaby on Twitter. (1 entry)

This giveaway is open to US residents and will end 3/6/10 @ 11:59pm EST. The winner will be drawn via random.org and will be contacted by email. You will have 48 hours to claim your prize or I will have to draw a new winner. Again, remember to leave a valid email address with your comments and leave a separate comment for each entry.

*I received a free sample of Playful Foaming Wash in exchange for my review. This review is my own honest opinion.