New Ways to Get Your SAPsMaMa!!!

As of today, there are TWO new ways to stay in touch with SAPsMaMa blog!

Instead of just following us on Google Friend Connect and Blogger, you now have to option to receive feedburner updates! Just click on the little orange box on the top right side of my blog!

Even bigger news, I have officially created a SAPsMaMa Facebook page! New news will be posted on there as well as any other information I think my readers would be interested about pertaining to living green / naturally and going toxin-free! Contacting me on facebook at this time through my SAPsMaMa facebook page will be a very good way to get ahold of me if you have any questions or would like me to do a review for you! So head on over and LIKE me on facebook!

And, of course, the other top social media at this time, Twitter! I have had a Twitter account for a few months now but have recently switched my twitter handle to @SAPsMaMa, so head on over to Twitter and add me! Following me on twitter will give you the first heads up on any giveaways I've found online and help you connect with other natural/green mamas out there and their blogs and companies! So head on over and folllow me, @SAPsMaMa, on Twitter!

And don't forget, I will be changing to Wordpress within the next 90 days with the Social Media Makeover, which will also make these facebook and twitter pages even more exciting as well! So stay up to date on any changes and continue getting your SAPsMaMa throughout the changes by connecting with me on Facebook and Twitter!

Go Green / Toxin-Free Your Home Weekly Tip #1: Rid Yourself of Plastic Food Storage Containers!

This year my New Year's Resolution, well one of them anyway, was to "Go More Green". What did I mean by that? I wasn't quite sure, but I knew that I needed to make some changes now that I had my little girl in my life. I felt like a hippocrate talking about how to go green but not doing more myself!
So I started making changes, and each week I will give you tips on the changes I made and how I'm making my home, and how you can make your how, more "Green" and more Toxin Free!

This week's culprit: Plastic Food Storage Containers!

They are cheap, they are easy to use, and if they get yucky you don't feel bad throwing them away. I myself had an entire cabinet full of these storage containers, half of them we recieved from Hillshire Farms when we purchased our deli lunch meat!

A few weeks ago however, we moved from our 3 bedroom house to a smaller 2 bedroom apartment, and whenever you move, changes must happen. I thought this time would be the perfect time to get rid of these plastic containers!
We are a pretty poor family, so to just throw something away, especially something useful, seemed wasteful, and for our "Green" attitude, seemed like we'd be hurting the earth more. So during moving we packed an entire box of plastic containers and let our friends who helped us move help themselves to any and all that they wanted! They very much thanked us! As much as I talk about going toxin free and green, I do not push my friends to do so, and if they could use these containers, I was happy!

But here you are, still wondering, why are plastic food storage containers so bad?

Plastic is very hard to avoid, so many things in this day and age are made of it, but recent ( and some not so recent! ) research has shown that the chemicals that plastic is made of, including phthalates, PVC, and BPA and more, are toxic to us. Why are these chemicals bad? In the short, many of them are endocrine disruptors, they interfere with the growth and development of children especially and cause abnormal female characteristics in males, and conditions where little boys are not born with proper parts all formed. You can get some more detailed information in the very informative article "Plastics: Everyday Use, Everyday Risk" by Healthy Child, Healthy World.
So plastics are bad, but what to do about those plastic food storage containers? You don't want to waste food!

The Solution: Kinetic GlassLock Green Food Storage!
Glass storage containers are a wonderful solution to plastic food storage containers!

I had been online stalking Kinetic GlassLock food storage for quite some time before I took the plunge into buying it. I was first introduced to it online at the wonderful Toxin-Free store The Soft Landing, but whenever they had a fantastic sale deal on any Kinetic storage it sold out before I could benefit from it!! I was so antsy I couldn't wait! So I went onto www.drugstore.com, The Uncommon Drugstore! They had some great deals on many products for Earth Day and I took advantage as a first time costumer and got free shipping with my purchase of the heavy Kinetic Storage Containers! (By the way, Soft Landing also has free shipping on purchases over $100, and a flat rate of $7 shipping on ANYTHING under $100, what a deal!).

Because of the great deal and the busy Earth Day orders, plus with how heavy they were to ship, my order of Kinetic GlassLock Storage containers took a bit longer than the rest of my order to ship, but I was not charged anything!

When I did receive my Kinetic GlassLock Storage Containers in the mail I was very impressed with the care and packageing to decrease any breakage. They were shipped directly from the Kinetic company and the packaging was very specific to the size and type of container I purchased, so much, that I SAVED the boxes and wrapping so that I could use them when I was moving a few weeks later! So I had NO worries about them breaking and felt confident that my money I spent on these items was worth it!
Read more down below on Why I Love Kinetic GlassLock Storage Containers, after these stats!


The stats:
BPA, PVC, and Phthalate Free!!!
The Innovative Green Glasslock Container Set features snap-tight silicone seal lids that locks in freshness and prevent leaks or spills. The tempered glass is stain-resistant and will not react with foods. The nontoxic containers keep your foods safe and airtight for optimum preservation of flavor and nutrients. The storage sets can go straight from freezer or refrigerator to microwave. Each see-through lid has a different colored band to help with quick identification of stored foods. GlassLock is easy on the environment because it replaces nonbiodegradable plastic storage containers. Containers are top rack dishwasher-safe and come with a 1-year warranty.

Features:

Tempered glass is stain-resistant, nontoxic and does not react with foods Snap-tight latches lock down silicone seal lids Airtight for optimum freshness Liquid tight to prevent leaks and spills See-through lid and container makes for quick identification of foods Versatile for freezer, refrigerator and microwave Long-lasting storage solution is easy on the environment Top rack dishwasher-safe 1-year limited warranty

Why do I Love Kinetic GlassLock?

I very much love our Kinetic GlassLock containers and think they were a very good decision for our household. My fiance also thinks so! He especially loves that he can store food easily, they stay fresh longer than when stored in plastic since they have the snaptight lids, and he can just put the glass container from the fridge directly into the microwave and serve onto the dinner plates from the glass storage container, he doesn't have to use another bowl or plate to re-heat before serving! Hence less dishes!

Another plus SAPsDaDa said he loves is how, since they are glass, they are safe to put in the dish washer! Less dishes to wash by hand! The lids still need to be washed by hand but that's nothing compared to the amount of dishes before!

I have found that these are very easy to use, and I like how the rectangle ones have a green silicone strip in the lids and the circle ones a red silicone strip in the lid, makes for easy finding in the cabinet!

You can get Kinetic glass storage containers in many sizes, they usually come in packs of three. You can get circle 14 or 24 oz, square/rectangle 14, 34 or 64 oz, or a combination of the three sizes of rectangle glass storage, which I find is perfect for storing those large meals for get-togethers or holidays! You could even go as far as getting a Kinetic Mixer/Shaker! Perfect for summer time!

With all these benefits with Kinetic GlassLock Food Storage, why aren't more people going GlassLock??

Some downsides:

Yes there have been some downsides to using Kinetic GlassLock Food Storage, nothing is perfect! The only downside I have though is the that they are a bit pricey, even when bought on sale. You will never have to purchase anymore storage containers again (unlike plastic, which looses lids, gets stained, warped, gets tossed and replaced quite often), so the cost will decrease over time to be more cost effective, but the real selling point for these containers is that they are green for the earth (less waste!), toxin-free, and all the benefits of less dishes etc. that I described above, which I consider more than worth it!

Want some of your own?!

You can get a wide variety of Kinetic Glass Storage Containers on www.drugstore.com, The Uncommon Drugstore! HERE is a search for all Kinetic GlassLock products, but also check out their other Kinetic household and kitchen products while you're there! Prices range from $25 on sale to $35, all for sets of 3, different sizes.

You can also get the most commonly used 3 pack of sizes of Kinetic GlassLock Food Storage Containers at The Soft Landing, $29.50, and their great Shaker/Mixer (which I havn't found elsewhere!) for $12 (on sale now for $10.20!!).



I hope you enjoyed my first Go Green / Toxin-Free Your Home weekly tip!!! If you have any suggestions or comments PLEASE leave them, I would love your input!!

SAPsMaMa

Things to come, BIG NEWS!!!

Big News!!

Social Media Makeover!!

So if you didn't know I LOVE giveaways, it is an excellent way to try the things you wish you could afford to buy but can't justify buying! Half the time if I don't win I end up buying the stuff anyway just because they're such awesome stuff! It is my number one way to find new great companies andlearn about great products on the market you wouldn't find in stores! In the past I was entered in 50 + giveaways at a time, but most of the ones I won were just small stuff that was great, but nothing I was SUPER excited about.

NOW that's changed! Three Green Angels, , which is three eco-friendly, green companies that have come together to form something even more great, hosted a giveaway for a Free Social Media Makeover! With their brand new make over of their blog and how awesome it turned out, I'm super excited about this! This makeover includes"a one-of-a-kind Wordpress blog redesign, a shiny new Twitter background and a Facebook Fan Page that will draw in new followers by the droves!" Sounds soooo great and I can't wait!

So look forward to a brand spanking new social media make over and please head on over to Three Green Angels and their Twitter Parties (of which, yes, I've won at! Yay for free awesome LunaPads!), and their #ecowed Twitter chat weekly on many eco topics! So many great things to offer!

Also check out each "Angel" and their blogs, tons of resources for eco-friendly, toxin free products and information!

Angel #1 Green and Clean Mom!

Angel #2 The Smart Mama!

Angel #3 The Soft Landing with Alicia (A personal Favorite!!!)

I can't wait until this social media makeover and I hope you all are too! But I also have even more news!

Weekly Go Toxin-Free/Eco-Friendly Tips!

From now on I will be doing a weekly tip on how to go toxin-free/eco-friendly! I have been working on my home pretty steadily for past few months (as per my new years resolution!) and now I am going to be sharing with you what I have done to de-toxin my home and what is worth doing, worth trying, and what is all hogwash! Hope you like this new feature!

Weekly Product Review!

I have not hosted any giveaways yet since I have been quite busy, but as I said before, I have entered quite a many giveaways and been winning about one a week! I think it's about time you hear about some of the awesome stuff I've won! So I will be trying to do one review weekly of a product I have won, where I won it, how I like it and any features about the product, etc.! All products being reviewed will be under the same critera of what I blog about, meaning all products will be about natural parenting in the modern world! This does NOT mean it will be all baby products, nope! It might be mommy products, nursing products, toddler, older kid, younger baby, cleaning supplies, kitchen supplies, just about anything that fits that description! So I hope you like this idea and like these reviews!


Final News!

So as I say in my intro and my "about me", I am NOT a stay at home mom (STHM)! The majority of mommy bloggers are stay at home moms, and yes I understand that is a full time job (SAPsDaDa is a stay at home dad now starting this week so he knows now!), but my point here is that I work full time. I get up at 6am and don't come home until 4pm, then run errands, and I wish I could stay at home with SAP but I need to provide for my family. The reason I am telling you this is because this job I have WILL affect my blog! I may promise a weekly review, weekly tips, and such, and that is my goal, but things will come up, I will be exhausted or want to spend time with family instead of blogging, and my blog might not be updated as much as I like! I do hope this does not interfere with you following my blog as I do hope to provide thorough reviews and valuable information that I think will be extremely useful, I just wanted you all to be aware that if I am not updating as often as you hoped, I am still here! If you want to chat PLEASE send me an email, I love having feedback, PLEASE comment!

So this is summer time for me, working full time, and in a few months back to working part time and being a full time college student, so I hope you enjoy having a blog from a modern mama with these view points and knowing that you can be natural, you can be eco-friedly and make good decisions for your child and provide them with a great start in life even if you are a working mom or a college student, it is possible! You make the decisions and we are here to help you along with that!

Thanks you all so much for following my blog and keep an eye out for these future updates and upgrades!! I'm excited, and please leave your comments! :D

Green Quiz Quest

Learn all about different eco-friendly and green products through a fun scavenger hunt where you can win prizes! Check out what the Green Quiz Quest is all about and sign up to be a sponsor or a seeker, have some fun!

Green Quiz Quest!

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Indian Prefolds Review

SAP's Story

So, you ask, why, if there are these awesome new cloth diapers that fit from birth to potty training, are one entire piece like a disposible, and look super cute, would anyone want to use prefold diaper any more? Well, I'll tell you why!

When SAP was a few months old and learned how to roll over, she, of course, decided she would rather sleep on her side or belly instead of on her back! Although this was a no-no due to SIDs warnings, I believed she was safe. If she could roll onto her tummy, she could roll away from a blanket or something that might cover her face. However, what I did become worried and somewhat annoyed about was how every night or morning I'd be changing her pajamas and crib sheets due to her BumGenius One Size diaper leaking! The amount of laundry this created and the hassle was just unbarable, not to mention she was so wet she would wake up during the night multiple times, thus less sleep for me! I HAD to find a solution.

I had spent alot of money to purchase our supply of BumGenius One Size 3.0 diapers and I did not want to spend alot of money to solve our night time diapering leaking problem. My solution? Prefolds!

SAPsDaDa was iffy, but with some online tutorials and my discovery of the invention of the Snappi I decided it was worth a try! They were cheap, and they were supposedly very versitile, which ended up being very true! They were also toted to being very leak proof with a good cover, and thus with our Thirsties covers I decided to make the plunge and purchase a half dozen infant indian prefolds.
I chose indian prefolds over chinese prefolds because I liked that they were unbleached, and they were mentioned to be softer. Chinese prefolds are known to hold up longer and be more durable but since I was not useing these as my main diaper that was not my main concern.Not only did these diapers do their job wonderfully and there was no more leaking at night, but I now keep a dozen Indian Prefolds in my stash and use them whenever I can! Breathability, reliability, and versatility, I don't know any type of diaper that could do so much! I used thirsties covers over them to start out, then once in a while I used Good Mama One Sized covers in hook and loop or snaps, any cover, no leaks! I also had some fleece liners I cut out and placed that under SAP's butt to keep it dry since there is no stay-dry layer like on pocket diapers, this helped keep her butt dry and helped clean up if there was a poopy. Snappies were definatly a life saver with these! I seriously TRIED to pin, and it's more difficult than you'd think! Plus I kept losing those little pins! I do keep pins around for my emergency car stash with some prefolds (which is another thing I love prefolds, great for emergency diapers for car, grandma's, etc. since you don't need them in your stash all the time!), and I do use pins for our hemp diapers that we can't use snappies with, but although I love our hemp diapers, I always reach for our prefolds since I know how easy I can get them on with our snappi.

I was worried at first about the folding, and I tried MANY folds, following tutorials online and everything, but finally settles on a simple newspaper fold I believe it's called. Different folds work for different babies, but the main lesson with any fold is that you have to tuck it tight! You'll find out what I mean if you try prefolds, and I very much encourage every cloth diapering family, even if this isn't your main diaper, keep it around! Use it for night diapering, emergency diapering, believe me, last thing you want is to have to put your little on in a disposible because you're out of diapers or forgot it was wash day! And it does happen! lol

Now to all the technical stuff :)



Description

• Type of Cloth Diaper: Prefold
• Sizes and Weight Recommendations: I purchased my prefolds from www.cottonbabies.com, sizing and type of prefold differs by store. The Indian Prefolds at Cotton Babies are sized/weighted as follows:

Preemie 2x6x2 ply 9.5" x 13" (4-8 lbs).Infant 4x8x4 ply 12" x 16" (7 to 15 lbs.)Regular 4x6x4 ply 14.5" x 21" (15-30 lbs.)
Premium 4x8x4 ply 14.5" x 22" (15-30 lbs.)

• How Diaper Works/Features: This diaper is a prefold, and so has three sections that you fold it. Prefolds are probably the most versatile cloth diaper available and I consider them a staple in any cloth diaper stash. Prefolds can be used in many different folds, three of the most common are show on Diaper Jungle. These folds can be done with pins or a Snappi (my favorite!). You could also just fold the prefold in thirds and use it as an insert in a pocket diaper, or fold it in thirds and just lay it inside a cover, it depends on your baby and your preferences (i.e. it's cheaper to use covers, but using a pocket diaper keeps it dry against baby's skin). You could do what I do and use all of these folds and different ways of useing a prefold! If you're handy with a sewing machine you can even take a cheap prefold and sew it into a fitted diaper with velcro or snaps quite easily!
  
• Prefolds are not waterproof and thus require a cover, however it is nice to have breathable diapers like this for hot summer days to prevent heat rash on baby's bum. Prefolds are very leak proof if the right cover is used, there are many covers available on the market, anything from "plastic pants", to fleece, or wool covers that cost more but require very little maintenance and are more breathable!
• Some moms get fancy with their prefolds and dye them different colors, so you may personalize your stash with non-toxic dyed prefolds!
  

Style and Material

• Material Feel: Indian prefolds are softer than other prefolds on the market, hence why I prefer Indian prefolds over Chinese prefolds, but they are not as soft as other cloth diapers such as minky or bamboo fabrics commonly used in fitted diapers.
• Materials Used: Indian prefolds are made of pure 100% cotton unbleached twill weave.
  
• Colors/Aesthetic: Because they are unbleached Indian prefolds are a kind of Ivory color, more of a natural color than white bleached diapers, and better for your baby! Also, when you get these diapers they will not look like in the pictures online, you will have to wash them 3-5 times to strip them of their natural oils and get them to be absorbent and fluff up nice and soft like in the pictures. They will also appear alot bigger at first but will shrink with these initial washes to fit your baby as it states in the sizing chart. As stated before if you wish to get more color to your prefolds there are non-toxic dyes available to make them any color, or tie-dye!, that you wish!

Ease of Use

• Closures: It is believed that prefolds are very difficult to use since they are not like disposable diapers and they require difficult folds and pins that will poke you and your baby...not true! Although pins are still available for use and some parents do prefer pins (I use pins for my Hemp Babies diapers), prefolds do NOT require pins any more! The invention of the Snappi has mas prefolds more accepted and easier to use for families who wish to cloth diaper cheap with prefolds! If you chose to use pins or keep pins around check around the forums for tips on how to use them and ease of use for pins, such as sticking pins in a bar of soap to get them to slide through the prefold easier and such :)

• Similarity to Disposables: These diapers are just about as far away from a disposable you can go save for a flat diaper (which is alot more tricky to fold). They are not shaped nor do they fasten the same as disposibles, and they require a diaper cover, which is another step. If you are looking for something that everyone would be able to use without instruction or something simple hubby won't complain about, these might not be for you right away, but after you become a seasoned cloth diapering family, give them a try!

Fit

• Trimness: The trimness of useing a prefold entirely depends on the way it is used. Some folds like the twist fold are very trim, but don't provide as much protection for some babies as other fold such as just folding it in thirds and stuffing it in a pocket diaper. Trimness also depends on the type of diaper cover that is used. Some diaper covers are very trim and other bulky depending on fabric and design. So depending on how heavy a wetter your baby is, what type of stools they have, if you have a little boy or girl, and many other factors, certain folds and covers will work for you and others don't, thus experimentation will tell the truth :)
• Adjustability for Size/Absorbency: Prefolds usually come in 3 different sizes, but many different forms of absorbency. A premie size will fit those very small babies, an infant size for most young babies in those first few months, and a regular size for older babies. While your baby is wearing those sizes the sizes may also be adjusted slightly by how it is put on. Even when your baby outgrows a size that you were using with a snappi or pins it can still be used as an insert usually! Besides the different sizes prefolds come in different absorbency. The numbers you see for a prefold (for example: 4X6X4 ply) corresponds to how many layers each of the three sections of that prefold have. This prefold has 4 layers on the left and right sections, and 6 in the middle soaker zone, and this is a regular sized prefold. A premium prefold has 8 layers in the middle soaker zone, but is the same size as the regular, and thus would be a bit more bulky but would absorb more and work well for heavy wetters or older children. Premie size has the least layers as newborns don't urninate as much as older babies, and so premie size is 2x4x2 ply, making it more trim for a newborn, yet probly not absorbent enough for a slightly older baby.
• Besides the different options to purchase for sizing and absorbency, you can increase the absorbency of your prefold by adding a doubler to it, either stuffed in a pocket diaper with the prefold or placed in the middle section soaker zone and folded in when it's pinned/snappied on baby.

Performance and Functionality

• Leaks: When you find the fold that works well for you and your baby there should be no leaks with a prefold! Of course, make sure the prefold is tucked inside the cover all the way, this is the only time I get leaks. Also, if your baby takes long naps or you use these for night time use a doubler for extra absorbency to prevent leaks due to being overly saturated, and enjoy how great a simple prefold can be!
• Absorbency: The absorbency of the prefolds I find is great, I do not have a heavy wetter and I do use a hemp doubler for night time to prevent any chance of leaking with over-saturation, but I feel as if these diapers are sufficient for daily use and nap times, as well as night times when paired with a doubler and a good cover.
• Leg Gussets: Prefolds need to be folded and thus do not have leg gussets, however, depending on the type of fold you use, you can make a type of "pocket" that can similate leg gussets.
• Nap/Bedtime Use: As stated previously, I do use prefolds for nap times and bedtime use. When SAP was younger I used just a prefold with my trusty Thirsties covers, but now that she's older I do use a hemp doubler folded inside the prefold with a good cover to make sure the prefold does not leak due to over-saturation. I find these diapers are GREAT for side and tummy sleepers as other diapers, like pocket diapers that have that stay-dry barrier between baby and insert, tend to leak if baby is on their side if they are not snug enough on the legs.
• If Fit is True: I have only used the infant and the premium sized diapers in the Indian Prefold category, and I found the fit is true for both. When it became hard to get diaper to snappi on it was at the top of the weight recommendation and so I feel that they are reliable. I did not try to use prefolds when SAP was first born so I do not know if the infant would fit a newborn until they are a month or two old.
  
• Wear and Tear: Although it is mentioned on some sites that Indian prefolds do do not stand up to long term, every day use as well as Chinese prefolds, my Indian prefolds have withstood being used a couple times a week each and washed at least once a week going on over a year now without any sign of wear and tear! The infant prefolds were outgrown before they were worn out and are used daily as burp clothes, then passed on to a friend to used on her newborn, and are still going strong without any holes or fraying thread! For the increase in softness over the Chinese prefolds I think these are wonderful diapers that will truely last more than one baby and additional usage!

Quality/Cash Analysis

• These diapers start at $1 each for the premie size, and are at most $2 for the premium size, extremely reasonable for a cloth diaper! Considering most people only need two dozen diapers and two sizes of prefolds, you could easily cloth diaper your baby VERY cheaply with these diapers, even under $100! When bought a dozen at a time most diaper shops have a discount as well.
  
• The life of these diapers and their versatility is amazing, they may not be the "modern" cloth diaper but they so far have surpassed the life span of many of my nice expensive cloth diapers! Even if you don't think you can use these all the time, they're cheap enough to have around for those odd times you might need them, like what happened with me and SAP, or just use them as cheap durable burp rags for the majority of your baby and toddler's years, and your next baby's years! Worth every penny and I'd be willing to pay more!