When I was sent Carol Tuttle’s Dressing Your Truth: Discover Your Personal Beauty Profile, I agreed to read it because beauty and fashion and all that goes with it does interest me a lot more than the “warm fuzzy” stuff. Plus, this blurb on DressingYourTruth.com caught my eye:

If you’ve ever felt defeated in a dressing room, faced a closet full of clothes but still felt you had nothing to wear, or thought you had to be skinny to be beautiful, Dressing Your Truth will be a much-appreciated reality check that will help you discover and celebrate your own, unique beauty!

Well, I do have a closet full of clothes and a few items that never get worn because let’s face it, they looked better on the hanger. And I’m always interested in discovering your “type” to see if I agree with what “they” say my type is. So I dove into the book, quickly skimming the first few parts so I could get right to Carol’s four types (Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4). And then I was anxious to find out what that type meant for me as far as what my wardrobe should like look like, how I should wear my hair and makeup to complement my features, plus I was even interested in learning the challenges that particular type faces.

Um, Dressing Your Truth was spot on. Seriously. I’m a Type 3 through and through, though not everything matched 100%. (I’m not a natural salesperson, trust me.) Want to know what a Type 3 is like? You’ll have to read the book. It was fun to read about the other three types and think about people I knew who fit into each one. Question is, are those people being true to their type or trying to be another type and therefore not living their own truth? Good question!

To enlighten you a bit on why I’m pretty dang sure I’m a Type 3, here are some excerpts I highlighted from the book that had me thinking—if not saying—”holy crap!” Type 3 personalities:

• “… get multiple tasks moving forward at the same time, so we can get a lot of things done at once” and we keep “a lot of plates spinning until all the tasks are finished.” {Like my mom says, someday I’m going to lap myself.}
• “… will write on our to-do lists tasks we have already accomplished just for the satisfaction of checking them off the list!” {Been there, done that many times.}
• “… see what needs to be get done, and often wonder why no one else is taking action, assuming the rest of teh world moves in your expression.” {I no longer assume anything but I do still wonder how my family can watch TV while dishes need to be done and counters need to be wiped. Any why doesn’t anyone else see those piles on the stairs?}

As a Type 3 I also have a tendency to be late wanting to get lots done and not being realistic about what can be accomplished in a given timeframe. I love to challenge myself (sprint triathlons this summer) and I walk with determination and a firm, brisk footstep. Just ask my parents about my firm, brisk footsteps…they hear them every time I walk across the kitchen floor.

What made me chuckle toward the end was this little note about the Type 3 woman:

It may have been hard for you to read from the front of the book to the back. You like to get to the point, fast, and pass by anything that appears to be too much detail. … You like to finish things quickly and get on to the next thing.

Did I not state at the beginning of this review that I skimmed those first few chapters to get to the nitty gritty? Yeah, I’m a Type 3.

The beauty profiling Carol does in Dressing Your Truth is pretty awesome. And the transformations are just as amazing. The book is filled with stories like most self-help books, but what I love are the transformations you can watch online at DressingYourTruth.com. Real women, not skinny, size-0 models, learning how to show their beauty rather than “put on” beauty. Online you’ll find a whole community of women and tools and resources to become your own “Beauty Expert” in areas like clothing, makeup, hair, and accessories.

One last awesome quote from the book:

Ironically, consider the possibility that you have deemed your greatest gifts your biggest weaknesses and your natural beauty in your physical features as flaws.

Are you dressing—and living—your truth?

P.S. Here’s a great video showing the grand prize winner of the Dressing Your Truth Do-It-Yourself Makeover Contest. She’s a Type 3 too!

*** Giveaway! Carol is giving away five (5) copies of Dressing Your Truth: Discover Your Personal Beauty Profile! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Leave a comment telling us what you’d most like to learn from Carol’s book.
•   Visit DressingYourTruth.com and register for Carol’s 7 free revolutionary beauty tips (for every Type).
•   Become a friend of Carol on Facebook. (If she hits her limit before you can, let us know you at least tried!)
•   Follow Carol on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: September 9, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

I’ve had the luxury of testing a Shi Shu Baby blanket that’s as soft as it gets! The blanket is a handwoven 60/40 combination of cotton and bamboo and is trimmed with 100% cotton sateen. And it’s completely natural!

Tamre, the founder and owner of Shi Shu Style, had a child who was allergic to the fibers of those soft and fuzzy polyester blanket. She, determined to create a line of 100% natural baby blankets journeyed to India. She found a village that specialized in hand looming and she says she “…had never seen a place like this!” and she’s been to many factories in China (from her years of experience in the toy industry). Here working mothers were employed to loom blankets and rugs and in the evenings they went home to their families. Tamre found that these “…were not just blankets…they were works of art.” This is what she was searching for! As she worked on designing the blankets, she would ask her host’s family how to say words in Hindi. The children referred to their Grandmother as Shi Shu Ma and it was explained to Tamre that this was a term of endearment. Shi Shu is someone that cares for a child. Thus she found the name for her blankets – SHI SHU BABY. Isn’t that so perfect?

My child really is being cared for by this blanket. It’s softness consumes her little body. I have the baby lemon color and I adore it. It’s the perfect shade, light and airy but still vibrant. It has pilled a little bit and if I don’t take it out of the dryer promptly it gets wrinkly, but you’ll find that’s the way it goes with natural fibers. It’s totally worth it!

When this blanket arrived in the mail and I felt how luxurious it was, I thought to myself, “I wish this came in my size.” Well, it does. Shi Shu has a line for your home and it comes in 3 beautiful colors. I would love to have one to wrap around myself while I sip hot chocolate this winter! I think I would choose the classic for myself. Which blanket would you choose for yourself or for your child? – Katie

Handbag Heaven’s designer-inspired collection has something for everyone. You’ll find flirty and feminine hobo bags, chic and tailored shoulder bags, date-perfect evening clutches and everything in between.

Handbag Heaven sent me the Caroline City Bag in yellow. I’ve never owned a yellow handbag, and after trying out this beauty, I think everyone should add a little sunshine to their handbag collection!

The Caroline City Bag not only looked stylish but was super functional with its large interior and multiple pockets. The hardware was pretty dang solid and the bag held up well to weeks of abuse normal, everyday use by a mom with four kids. I loved the option of shoulder straps or a longer messenger strap, though I did have an issue with one of the shoulder straps. The silver ring that attached it to the bag would slip off once in a while, but some pliers and a little squeeze fixed that right up. That little hiccup didn’t deter me from checking out—and drooling over—some of Handbag Heaven’s bestsellers and new arrivals.

By the way, I bought my mother-in-law a cute black and pink tote for her birthday and bought myself the Paisley Clutch for my un-birthday. Happy un-birthday to me! I’m thinking I might need to add the Paisley Bow Bag to my un-birthday gifts as well… My other faves? The Claire Flower Satchel in blue, the Valencia Blush Hobo in ivory and the Jackie Patent Tote in black.

Handbag Heaven handbags start at $10 without a single handbag over $85. You can browse by color, size, trend (e.g., citrus colors, animal print, quilted), price and style. The site also offers oversized bags, canvas totes and wallets. (Have you seen the Marsha Daisy Wallet? Yummy!)

Um, I’m thinking Handbag Heaven was the perfect name for this site. How about you?

For any of you who may be handbag challenged, Handbag Heaven recently launched a handbag glossary; you can even subscribe to Handbag Heaven’s Affordable Style YouTube channel.

You can find Handbag Heaven on Twitter and Facebook or you can check out the Handbag Heaven blog about all things handbag (and backpack and clutch and purse and style and fashion).

*** Giveaway! Handbag Heaven is giving away one (1)
$50 gift certificate! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Visit HandbagHeaven.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite handbag, purse, clutch…whatever!
•   “Like” Handbag Heaven on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•   Follow Handbag Heaven on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: September 2, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Emily did a review of Inglesina’s Zuma high chair and she claimed that the chair made clean-ups easier and that any company that can do that is a “true friend.”

I’ve been testing the sleek, minimalist club high chair and I can tell you that it really does make clean-ups easier, I would even say clean-up is a breeze (trust me, we had spaghetti and pasta sauce last night!). We have loved this high chair!

The chair comes equipped with a cover that easily wipes clean. If your baby gets as involved with his or her food as mine, you may want to remove the cover every now and then and hand wash it in warm, soapy water. I found that removing the cover was tricky and tight. It took fussing and some time to wrestle it off, however as soon as I dipped it into the warm water the dried peanut butter seemed to wash itself off! Nowadays, I leave the cover off because Holly doesn’t need any extra support, plus she’s no longer being spoon fed and that kind of independence equates to much more mess! After Holly played in her first birthday cake, I just hosed the high chair down. Perfect!

The tray is completely removable which is great for some deep cleaning, however how the tray attaches to the chair can call for some pinched fingers. Holly loves sticking her fingers in the holes that the tray attaches into and as careful as I tried to be, I still pinched her fingers one time. The only upside to that is that now she’s really careful about her finger placement so I haven’t even come close to pinching them again.

I like that the legs come off, especially since the chair doesn’t fold up. That was so handy in our recent move. On the bottom of each foot, it’s clearly indicated which position each leg belongs to so it’s really easy to reattach the legs.

The club high chair is a great chair. I love the simplicity of it’s design. It feel timeless, yet modern. If I hadn’t received this highchair for testing I would’ve personally purchased it. It’s my favorite-looking highchair and within my price range! -Katie

Kylee (our beautiful mermaid) is wearing an original design by her mom Tina of Pixie Petal Creations. Tina designs custom tutu’s, handmade flowers, boutique style clothing and more. You can also check out Pixie Petal Creations on Facebook here>>

Keep sending in pics of your children wearing boutique clothing and accessories in real life. We love when you share, and you’re most welcome to “toot your own horn” if you are a designer! Keep those fashions and adorable pics rolling in, and let’s show the world how wearable and beautiful boutique fashions can be. – xoxo Daria

** Readers: Don’t forget to leave some sweet comments for our featured children – they would love it!

Leveraging innovation from the award-winning Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon, the Plum Dispensing Spoon by Boon is the exclusive spoon for Plum Organics pouches. Each case contains two spoons which easily attach to Plum Organics JUST fruit and Second Blends baby food pouches for healthy, convenient feeding especially when on-the-go.

Don’t you love it when something comes along that makes feeding your little one while out and about even easier? I mean, what more could you ask for than healthy, organic baby food with its own dispensing spoon?

Though my youngest is now three, I can still remember juggling those glass jars or plastic containers, lids and all, and hoping I’d packed a spoon somewhere in the diaper bag. I needed four hands: one for the baby food jar, one for the spoon, one for the lid and one to wipe my baby’s mouth before she took that pureed banana and rubbed it into her eye! With Boon’s custom dispensing spoon, you only need two (one for dispensing and one for wiping), which is good because that’s all you have!

A two-pack of Plum Organics’ Dispensing Spoons is just under $4—basically the same price you’d pay for a two-pack of “normal” spoons. Plus Boon’s spoon is BPA-free, phthlate-free and PVC-free. Oh, and it’s made by Boon. Enough said.

Make your baby’s food healthier—and your life easier—with Plum Organics new TOTS line of baby food and Boon’s custom-designed spoon. Remember, you only have two hands. –Emily

Let me focus for a minute on the depth of my hobo bag. It really is perfect. I never feel like I’m digging around for something for an inordinate amount of time. Or if I am, it’s my own fault for tossing and going and making my diaper such a mess! As Moms, we all know those moments when it’s vital to find a specific something to calm, soothe or entertain your child. The minutes seem to crawl by in those moments and so it’s incredibly important to make the find as quickly as possible. With this diaper bag, you won’t find yourself rummaging as your face gets progressively redder. You’ll be able to find what you’re looking for and put an end to your child’s crying, whining, or screaming in my case. And who could say no to that? My daughter, Holly, also loves the depth of this diaper bag. She loves looking around for a specific toy or her sippy cup and she enjoys the empowerment of emptying the bag as she goes. Personally, I love that she can have that independence!

My bag is from the spring collection – it’s called green floral disc. Right now Oi Oi’s August 2010 line is out and I’m swooning over the Ikat print. It’s just so perfect!

I highly recommend getting an OiOi hobo diaper bag for yourself. As far as pricing goes, they’re very reasonably priced especially when I believe the diaper bag will last for years and help your sanity to last just as long too! If you’re looking for something more lush, they also carry leather. To find a store go right here. You won’t regret it! – Katie

Anni Daulter is the founder of Bohemian Baby, an online organic baby food
service. I reviewed Bohemian Baby a few years ago and four years later I still remember how fabulous their organic baby food was. It was tempting even for me, and I don’t eat baby food unless it’s added to an “adult” recipe! I knew with such fabulous, fresh baby food recipes, Anni’s new cookbook wouldn’t disappoint.

Cited as a “hip, holistic guide to creating delicious, healthy, and organic meals for children ages 6 months to 3 years,” Organically Raised “shows parents how to replace bland processed shelf staples with flavorful, pesticide-free meals that babies will love, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of good
nutrition and enthusiastic eating.” My favorite part of that quote? Pairing “good nutrition” and “enthusiastic eating.” That is something I for sure want my kids to pair!

One of my favorite sections in Organically Raised is “Hot Topics: Popular Mama Questions Answered.” From when to start feeding your baby solid food to what to do if you can’t get your little one to eat veggies, this section will set new (and “old”) moms at ease when it comes to their child’s nutrition. I also love the suggestions for on-the-go healthy snacks. I can always use more ideas in that department!

Each recipe has a handy little box with a nutrients list and the book is sprinkled with helpful cooking tips and tricks. The photos are gorgeous, or as my friend Quinn of Limelight Food Photography would say, “lick-the-pic” delicious. Another fave is the small section on healthy mix-ins like flaxseed and even dried seaweed. Who knew you could sprinkle ground, dried seaweed on dishes?

I didn’t get a chance to test out many recipes mainly because I don’t have all those healthy, organic ingredients on hand and was too lame (i.e., I never planned ahead) to add them to my shopping list. But I have bookmarked Lorrin’s Basil-Walnut Pesto Quesadilla, Poppy’s Three-Cheese “Fancy” Panini and Massimo’s Tuscan Rustic Pizza with Fresh Herbs, Veggies and Three Cheeses. (Can you tell we love cheese around here?) I’m also throwing in Mayasita’s Cuban Black Beans (we LOVE black beans and I have yet to make them completely from scratch, dried beans and all) and Joey’s Roasted Coconut Oat Balls. In fact, the ingredients for the first three are on my shopping list as we speak I type!

Organically Raised also includes:

• Important information about nutrition for children
• Common food allergies
• Feeding journal
• Inspiring “Mama Mantras”

I know many of you are already pros when it comes to creating healthy, organic meals for your children, but for those of us who aren’t, Organically Raised is a great place to start. Don’t believe me? Check out what moms cooler than me have to say:

I was squealing today watching my friend Megan aka “Brassy Meg or Ms. Apple” on Studio 5 sharing her Fabric Wall Art tutorial. (isn’t she just gorgeous and adorable?! I love her!) This project is ideal for those of us who adore fabric, and want to have a customized look for our homes but perhaps need something less permanent than paint or wall paper.

Megan is changing the way we decorate our homes forever!

Check out this and other off-the-hook tutorials on the lovely Ms. Apple’s blog Brassy Apple

Send in your “Who’s Wearing Boutique” snapshots with designer information to: daria@boutiquecafe.com Subject: Who’s Wearing Boutique

CLICK a picture to visit the designers website and shop till you drop!

Evie : Hair Accessories by Sweet Apple Kid

Ella & Gavin wearing EllaBugz Boutique

Gotta love the kiddos and their fave outfits. Send those pictures in Mamas! – XOXO Daria

I’ve been very happy with the construction of the diaper. It’s made well and pretty much looks like new still after many uses. Although the fleece on the inside has pilled a teeny bit, it’s still soft as ever. I love the snap system on this diaper – they overlap which is important when you’re baby is tall and slim like mine. And the snaps feel really sturdy. I find that the waistband has a little bit of stretch to it making it possible to get a perfect fit in the waist.

My only complaint about the diaper is that I wish the insert was a couple layers thicker. I found that it isn’t quite as absorbant as my baby needs, and as a result, we’d get some leg leakage.

With baby number 2 on the way and knowing that I have smallish babies, I’m quite interested in the Happy Heinys mini one-size that fits 4-15 lbs. It’s available in just as many prints and colors as the diaper I reviewed too!

Tell me, have any of you tried Happy Heiny cloth diapers? And what do you like about them? – Katie

Little Stinker is the brainchild of Kathy Dalton, a woman on a mission to “de-stinkify your little one.” I kind of like that mission! I’ve tweeted with Kathy and recently met her in person at a local blogging conference. She’s fabulous…and super serious about her Baby Butt Spray.

This lightly scented, refreshing lavender vanilla spray not only freshens your baby’s bum but also gently moisturizes, which I love. Those little baby bums can be super sensitive, so a little moisturizing goes a long way. Kathy gave me a sample bottle of Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray to try out at home. Along with using the spray right on my little one’s bum, I found some other great uses for it:

• Deoderizing the diaper pail
• Deoderizing the room after a diaper change
• Spraying my second-oldest daughter’s feet, especially when she wears a specific pair of shoes
• Freshening up the bathroom after a stinky husband
• Freshening toddler bedding after a particularly sweaty afternoon nap

You know me, I love a product that can multitask, and Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray does just that—and does it while smelling good!

Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray is made using certified organic botanicals, formulated without parabens and is hypoallergenic and allergen-free. It is also made in the USA using 100% recyclable packaging.
Dermatologist and pediatrician tested, Baby Butt Spray is “parent appreciated and recommended.” I love that! If your little one (or your little one’s room, bedding or diaper pail) need a little de-stinkifying, you need Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray!

Little Stinker will soon offer moms two new products: Natural Nursing Balm and Cooling Breast Cream. If they’re as nifty as Baby Butt Spray, then you’ll definitely want to stock up! –Emily

P.S. Little Stinker has a fun summer contest going on right now! You could win a FREE iPhone or iPod Touch! For details check out the contest page here. Good luck!

*** Giveaway! Little Stinker is giving away one (1) bottle of Baby Butt Spray! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a comment for each one you do:

•   Leave a comment telling us how you would use Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray.
•   “Like” Little Stinker on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow Little Stinker on Twitter and leave a comment telling us you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 12, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

You can imagine my excitement when my Petunia Pickle Bottom shoulder diaper bag (in the Sleepy Santorini print) arrived in the mail. Boy, is it ever chic! I received a compliment the first time I took it out of the house – who doesn’t love that?

I love that the bag has a PVC-free Glazed wipeable exterior and although I have yet to need to wipe ‘er down, it gives me some serious peace of mind. Another feature I like is the key clip. I’m the worst for losing my keys at the bottom of a bag and so with this handy and easily accessible feature, I’m digging around no more. Plus it’s the easiest key fob to use so I use it. On the interior there are 6 pockets, 2 of which are for bottles, and a seventh pocket (a pacifier pocket) higher up on one side of the bag. It really is perfect for a pacifier, your lip balm, anything else that you don’t want to be searching for. It detaches via velcro, making finding that much needed item even easier. Gotta love that!

The diaper bag comes equipped with a changing pad that tucks into an exterior pocket. It can be removed if your children are past diapers but you still need the accessibility and convenience of a diaper bag. Inside that front pocket are 2 additional pockets that are the perfect size for the PPB wipes case (included with the diaper bag) and diapers. I love that I can keep all my diapering items in one handy spot. Although, I found that once I had the diapering supplies all packed up, the main body of the bag became a little narrow and slightly tough to access.

Despite the shoulder strap being unadjustable, both my husband and I found that the diaper bag sat nicely on our bodies. It surprised me when I first put it on because it felt so trim against my body. So even though I can pack lots in this bag it doesn’t feel overly bulky. I do wish the strap was less stiff. It can be a little sticky-uppy. I’m hoping that with time it will soften up.

Here’s a little more about Petunia Pickle Bottom:

More than three little words, Petunia Pickle Bottom is a lifestyle—a different way of looking at the world. And perhaps nowhere else is that difference more distinct, unique or decidedly fashionable than in the Petunia products themselves. A perennial exhibit of bold lines, daring colors and darling designer details, Petunia Pickle Bottom was created for the steadfast sophisticate inside every woman. Silk brocades, hand-woven tweeds, plush chenilles, intricate cut velvets, and exquisitely detailed embroidery—every one a Petunia hallmark, and every one an expression of motherhood’s myriad facets.

I couldn’t agree more! Every time I see a Mom with a PPB diaper bag I think that she’s totally got everything together and is way organized and chic! Hopefully people think the same when they see me with my bag especially since I’m often flying by the seat of my pants!

Make sure you check out Petunia Pickle Bottoms other products like their wide selection of diaper bags, their adorable clothing, and their cozy-looking blankets! -Katie

That’s why I think the concept behind JustGano is so dang cool. It’s a membership site for jewelry lovers. No, it’s not simply a “ring of the month” club. We’re talking necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. And the collection is gorgeous! Here’s how it works:

• Choose your JustGano membership level from The Deb (1 item for $7.95 per month ), The Demi (3 items for $21.95 per month) or The Diva (6 items for $39.95 per month). Did you notice that last plan averages just over $6 per item? Crazy!
• Create an account and start adding items to your wish list.
• Every month you’ll be shipped an item (or items) from your wish list free of charge (i.e., free shipping) within 3 to 6 days.
• No cancellation fee and you can cancel any time.

That’s it! And the process is super easy. JustGano set me up with an account for the purpose of this review. I was able to easily browse their collection of jewelry, which you can do whether or not you have an account, and settled on the Wire-Wrapped Double Gypsy Hoop. The item was shipped quickly and arrived in a beautiful gift box:

The earrings were just as beautiful in person, if not more so, and I could tell they were well made. I couldn’t wait to wear them and so planned an outfit around my new earrings. Like you haven’t done that before!

I’ve actually worn them a couple times and each time I do I get compliments. Of course, they look better on JustGano’s model, but they’re still super fabulous!

I do seriously love jewelry and am seriously considering a Deb membership. I enjoy sprucing up my jewelry collection but don’t like spending a lot of money on accessories. Of course, being too budget-conscious can backfire when your Forever 21 accessories don’t last more than a few wears. JustGano seems like the perfect option for chic, stylish, budget-friendly jewelry.

Right now I’m eying the Fleur Necklace. It might be making its way into my wish list just in time for my birthday. Happy birthday to me! –Emily

*** Giveaway! JustGano is giving away one jewelry item from their collection, winner’s choice! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Visit JustGano.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite accessory.
•   “Like” JustGano on Facebook and tell us you joined.
•   Follow JustGano on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 6, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to April R., the winner of the JustGano giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Have you heard about DownEast Basics? DownEast Basic clothing is all over the blogasphere. Why? Because their clothing is cute, affordable and trendy. Ruffles? Check! Floral prints? Check! Neckline embellishments? Double check! Plus, true to their name, they have some fabulous basics for layering.

DownEast Basics sent me their Sun Forever Dress to try out. As soon as it arrived I threw it on overtop of what I was wearing and received instant compliments from my husband. The dress fit true to size and was so comfortable! The scale of the floral design is perfect. I loved the raglan sleeves and the pleat detailing at the chest. But I think my favorite feature is the pink grosgrain ribbon that sits perfectly at empire waist level. Wearing this dress, I felt put together without having to do any work. Plus, if I wanted to mix it up a bit, I could swap out the ribbon for a different color or this crisscross belt. I really feel like this dress gives me some serious options. And I love it.

DownEast Basics is an awesome way to update your wardrobe, or just get a few trendy and key pieces for the season. Plus they carry clothing for girls too, ranging from size 2 to 10. Make sure you check out the DownEast Basics Blog for updates and discounts. And go ahead and order a catalogue – your closet will thank you!

The texthook is reasonably priced at $25 and comes in black or white colors. Grip one on your bike handlebars, strap it to your exercise equipment, you can take your smart phone anywhere and know that it’s safe and at the ready for you. Texthook is compatible with a plethora of smartphones, check out their list here to ensure a good fit for your brand of phone.

“texthookTM is a smartphone holder which allows you to conveniently secure your phone to most handlebars. By using this holder, you do not need to fumble with your phone and can keep two hands on the handlebar at all times. There are holders for your water, holders for your shopping bags, and now a holder for your smartphone. As responsible parents of toddlers, we take pride in providing a safe environment for children. Please use responsibly and do not text/e-mail while in motion.”

Texthook is making life just a little bit easier for us “Mobile Moms”. – Daria

First, the story:

Meridane Design … was created when Sally Short serendipitously superimposed each letter of the phrase ‘LOVE IS ALL U NEED’ on top of one another and then added a peace sign to complete the design. The design was sent off to be cast in sterling silver as a ‘Love and Peace’ pendant for Sally to wear.

But something happened when the Short family received it; they saw it sitting sideways and noticed a ‘K’ popping out. … That motivated the family to look for other letters and they ended up uncovering EVERY LETTER of the ALPHABET and EVERY NUMBER within the symbol!

How nifty cool is that?! And all those letters superimposed onto each other, cast in sterling silver, makes for a very beautiful, very meaningful pendant. Why so meaningful? Well, other than conveying “love is all u need,” this little jewel conveys whatever message you want.

Right now mine is saying “peace” and “simplify” and “I am so glad my husband is finally home from work.” If you’re one of those who likes to hide things in plain sight, then you are totally loving the What U Love Symbol. What other jewelry lets you wear a secret message that can change at a moment’s notice?

Meridane Design offers the What U Love Symbol in sterling silver pendants, bracelets, earrings and even custom necklaces. My favorites are the pendants with center-set stones.

I was given the What U Love pendant with peridot stone on a beautiful silver box chain necklace to review on the Daily Dish. (My life is tough, I know—it’s SO hard to walk around with a beautiful silver pendant, hidden message and all, around my neck.) Though it looked great with my t-shirt and jeans, it would look awesome dressed up or down for any occasion. (I apologize for not having a closer shot but I could not get that dang camera to focus–too much Diet Coke today?)

My daughter is absolutely in love with this pendant and thinks it’s “super cool.” She might’ve even used the word “awesome” in there as well. I couldn’t agree more! Meridane Design’s What U Love pendant is the perfect gift for so many occasions: birthdays, Mother’s Day, showers (both bridal and baby), graduation, back-to-school, Father’s Day (it is unisex after all) or just to say thank you to someone special. The possibilities—and the sayings—are endless! –Emily

P.S. A portion of Meridane Design’s casting is done at Annie’s Orphans in support of their No-Kill Dog Shelter. Super cool.

*** Giveaway! Meridane Design is giving away one (1) small or large sterling silver What U Love pendant with a stainless steel 24″ dog tag chain (winner can cut to size)! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

• Visit MeridaneDesign.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite pendant.
• “Like” Meridane Design on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: July 29, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Abbie N., the winner of the What U Love pendant giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Do you remember my review of Fuzzibunz’s One Size Cloth Diaper? I also reviewed their Perfect Size Diaper and I really like it. Fuzzibunz makes some seriously awesome products. I like that the Perfect Size diaper gives great coverage without the bulk. I found the diaper to be just right in absorbability. Although the diaper is available in 4 sizes, most babies only need the size small and medium. The x-small and large are available for special sizing. I think it’s awesome that Fuzzibunz thought of that!

A really good reason to choose Fuzzibunz is their superior snap system. I love that I can adjust the waist and leg openings independent of each other. The snaps are sturdy and show no sign of wear. Fuzzibunz’s doesn’t offer velcro or hook and loop closures as an option, which I think is just fine. Holly actually undid one of her hook and loop closure diapers the other day. I love that I don’t have to worry about Holly taking off her dirty diaper when she’s wearing her Fuzzibunzs especially since she spends a lot of time in just a diaper during the hot summer.

Although the Perfect Size diaper isn’t quite as trim as the One Size, it was much easier to add a second soaker for a bit of a boast. I like that it had a little extra space for that, but that the pocket isn’t gaping when I just have the original soaker stuffed into it. It’s very ideal.

This diaper is simple in design. It fits well, is easy to put on and remove, quick to stuff and un-stuff, and it does the trick. It’s a great diaper. Plus just like the One Size, the Perfect Size comes in 14 different colors. Which would you choose?

If you would like to keep up on new Fuzzibunz products or learn more about how Fuzzibunz can fit into your busy life as a parent, sign up for their eNewsletter. – Katie

The cute multi-colored stripe collection of garden tools look so stylish—who knew the best accessory was a trowel or hand-rake? One 11 1/2″ trowel and 11 1/2″ hand rake with drawstring cotton bag make this one fashionable set.

The handcrafted grip is functional with its 1/2″ size and the drawstring bag keeps things together and keeps your gardening set organized no matter where you stash it. For a mere $28 bucks it is a perfect gift for the professional gardener or gardener-to-be.

This garden tool set is exactly what you need to get yourself committed to planting your own little vegetable garden or maintain those unruly flower beds.

The hand-size tools do the dirty work and make it so easy to create a work of art in your garden. –Amber

Available online at alicesupplyco.com

I quickly learned you need more than a pair of goggles, a bike and running shoes to participate in a triathlon..and it all needs to fit in a backpack (aka transition bag). I hadn’t a clue what one of these were until a friend filled me in. Apparently all that gear you use while doing a tri has to go somewhere, and you often have to bike a mile or so to where you set up your gear, so you want it all in as compact a “somewhere” as possible.

A transition bag is designed specifically for all that gear you need while transitioning. We’re talking race belt, bib number, sunscreen, PB&J sandwich, wetsuit, towel, bottles of water, wetsuit, swim cap, goggles, helmet, bike gloves, sunglasses (like the Tifosi Vogels I reviewed on Tuesday), bike shoes, socks, energy bars and running shoes. And that’s not all of it.

Fortunately for me and my gear, blueseventy sent me their Transition FZ bag to test for Daily Dish readers. The verdict? I LOVE THIS BAG. Wait, let me say that again. I LOVE THIS BAG.

Not only does this bag have a separate waterproof compartment for your wetsuit, the main compartment is waterproof as well. The straps are comfortable and include a wide belt-type strap for around your waist—a helpful feature when you’re as uncoordinated as I am and have to ride a bike while wearing the thing. Though I didn’t use the headphone outlet and MP3 storage, I love that the Transition FZ has them.

I first used the Transition FZ when I did an open water swim, and of course had room to spare because it was just a swim. But I immediately noticed all the nifty pockets and zippered storage and the comfy shoulder straps. I had to snap a photo of it all rarin’ and ready to go on its first open-water adventure:

Then it was July 10th and time for the Echo triathlon—that baby got a thorough testing, trust me. And it still looks brand-spankin’ new. I wish I had photos of my transition bag before and after, but my brain wasn’t functioning well at 4:30am in the morning, nor did it work well after I’d swam a half mile, biked 12 miles and run 3 miles. Nathan did snap a shot of me during T1 and in there somewhere is my new best friend, the Transition FZ:

One of the things I love best is of course the high-quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, but also the versatility of blueseventy’s Transition FZ. You could easily use this bag for a day hike, trip to the beach (think about that waterproof compartment holding sandy, soggy swimsuits) or other sporting/fitness/recreational event. It’s a multitasker. I can so totally relate!

If you have a friend or family member who’s a triathlete or heck, any kind of athlete, this would make a great gift. He (or she) will love you—and the Transition FZ—forever. –Emily

When I decided I was going to try a tri (how clever am I?), I quickly learned I would need a good pair of lightweight sunglasses designed specifically for athletic endeavors. Fortunately for me, when I posed the idea to Tifosi Optics, they were more than happy to send a pair for me to review on the Daily Dish. I settled on the Vogel in pink tortoise. Hello, pink tortoise! Of course their Slip style is one of their most popular, but it only came in pink, not pink tortoise.

The Tifosi Vogels arrived and I had to snap a pic. Notice how I totally planned my reflection showing up in the sunglasses. That’s pro photography, baby!

And then, because they were so dang cool looking, I had to put them on immediately and snap another photo or two. (I’ll just share one and spare you the others.)

I took the Vogels for a test run late one sweltering hot morning. At first they sort of bounced a bit, which worried me, but once I got going they seemed to settle in just right. I could hardly tell they were there, except for the occasional tiny push up the bridge of my nose (I was REALLY sweating).

After that I took them for a test ride on my road bike and they totally passed. They fit perfectly with my helmet and the larger lenses gave great coverage from the sun. I couldn’t feel them at all, they didn’t bounce, and I think I only had to nudge them into place once. After that, I did not leave home (on a bike) without them!

The real test came when I competed in my first triathlon this past Saturday. Here I am sporting my Tifosi Vogels as I run my bike to the mounting location and as I cruise back in from my 12-mile ride:

And here I am rarin’ and ready to go (I’m totally faking that smile) on the 3-mile run, and then you can see a real smile because I’m super happy I’m almost done:

Though the Tifosi Vogels had a “bumpy” start, they are now a must-have among my tri gear. In fact, I find I’m wearing them even when I’m not biking or running. They’re a heck of a lot more comfortable than the brown tortoise ones I normally wear. There’s something to be said for a lack of minor headaches due to tight-fitting, fashionable ear pieces. Did I mention they’re pink tortoise as well? –Emily

P.S. I discovered just now that the nose piece is adjustable. Had I been smart enough to actually read the product description more than once, I might have avoided that whole nose-bridge-slippage thing. They are now properly adjust. I may even wear them to bed.

***Giveaway! Tifosi Optics is giving away one pair of pink tortoise Vogels (a $60 value)!***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•   Visit TifosiOptics.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite style of sunglasses.
•   “Like” Tifosi on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow Tifosi on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only. Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: July 20, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Tara P., the winner of the Tifosi giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

You remember the review I did of GroVia’s hybrid diaper? I also tested their All In One Cloth Diaper. And I really liked it. I think it’s super cute on and I like that it snaps at the sides. The side tabs are really stretchy allowing for a perfect and comfortable fit at the waist. GroVia has really nailed trim diapers. Just like the hybrid, this diaper is nice and trim yet still very absorbent. Often, on Holly, this diaper would be soaked all the way to the top at the front, but it didn’t leak! It seems to just keep on absorbing! It dries fairly quickly too. The diaper has a flap that’s attached to the back of the body of the diaper. Because the absorbent layer isn’t all pegged down to the diaper, the drying is much quicker. The diaper comes with a second absorbent layer that snaps right on. Assembling this diaper is a piece of cake. Just snap the second layer on and tuck it all together. It’s a nice break from stuffing inserts into pockets.

I did initially have some trouble with the rise adjusting snaps. They just wouldn’t stay snapped! Fortunately I was able to get a second diaper and although it’s snaps still don’t feel as firm as the hybrid’s, they work fine. Putting the diaper through the wash and then drying it all the way in the dryer on hot helps tighten the snaps up a bit. The diaper doesn’t have a layer of moisture wicking fabric (such as fleece), but I didn’t find that to be a problem. I change Holly’s diaper often enough that it hasn’t been an issue. But GroVia does have a soaker with a layer of fleece with organic cotton if you need something extra while on the go. Although I recommend the AIO diaper for sure, I think I prefer their hybrid cloth diaper.

GroVia has an option for parents who are environmentally consciencious, but don’t feel able to do cloth. They make what they call a BioDiaper, which is actually compostable as well as biodegradable. Here’s some more information about this innovative diaper:

With 93-95% of reported diaper customers choosing disposables, GroVia hopes to guide parents toward a familiar product with an opposite impact. The first disposable diaper made of Ingeo™ Fibers and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certified, the BioDiaper is made from renewable resources and approved under the strictest global testing and certification system as a product that contains no substances known as harmful to humans. The diaper incorporates biodegradable technology in its components yet maintains a super soft comfort and waterproof outer that disposable customers expect. GroVia is the first to introduce this proprietary technology to the United States.

-Katie

****Giveaway!! GroVia is giving away one AIO diaper + Wipes to one lucky winner!****

Here’s how to enter. Each is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link.
• Visit GroVia and leave a comment saying which color you’d want if you won the AIO cloth diaper.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link.

Deadline: July 16, 2010 (midnight). I’ll draw the winner, randomly, from the comments and contact her/him via email. The winner will have 24 hours to reply to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Congratulations Bao! You’re the winner of one GroVia AIO cloth diaper + wipes!

BlenderBottle sent me their Original and Mini mixers to test for Daily Dish readers. What makes these bottles the best-selling bottle on the market is the patented design with its BlenderBall, a “spring thingy, wire ball, whisker ball, mixer thing, scrambler, little whipper. …” This little spherical whisk is made of surgical-grade stainless steel and is supposedly powerful enough to mix even the thickest ingredients. I have a friend who swears by her BlenderBottle…and I’m now a total believer.

After washing the BlenderBottle and BlenderBall, I threw in some milk and my protein powder, jumped in the car for a family outing, and shook it as we drove down the hill.

I was a little curious as to whether or not that little silver thingamajig would actually make my protein shake clumpless (not sure that’s a word but I like it), and I was prepared to chew my drink as usual when I took my first sip. But I am here to tell you not one clump survived the BlenderBottle action. It’s actually pretty miraculous, but now I can see why the BlenderBottle is so dang popular. It’s awesome!

Along with protein shakes, think of what else you could use this baby for: salad dressings, yogurt-based drinks, pancake and french toast batter, scrambled eggs, marinades, powdered sports drinks. I found a few other cool things about its design such as a wide mouth (easy to add ingredients); StayOpen flip cap (no ooey gooey mess on your nose); large capacity; and it fits in most drink holders. Oh, and the BlenderBottle is BAP-free!

Of course, if you like chewing your protein shake or getting out the full-on KitchenAid blender for salad dressings (and cleaning it), then go for it. As for me, I’m sticking with the BlenderBottle. It totally rocks shakes my world! –Emily

*** Giveaway! BlenderBottle is giving away five (5) large BlenderBottles (1 each to 5 winners)! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Leave a comment telling us how you would use your BlenderBottle.
•   “Like” BlenderBottle on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow BlenderBottle on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: July 14, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Terri P., Ria C., Courtney C., Rebecca N. and Henria O., the winners of the BlenderBottle giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

When Candle Warmers, Etc. wanted to send me their new Plug-In Fragrance Warmer to review, I was more than happy to give it a test run. This little warmer is “designed to warm scented oils and wax creating the glow and ambiance of a burning candle. …” Its size makes it perfect for small rooms and small spaces, but I had a hard time putting it in a bathroom because I was worried it would be too easy for the kids to bump or unplug. Instead I put it in the kitchen, at least for the test run. You can see it post-warming (above left) and all lit up and liquefying wax melts (below):

(Yes, I own quite a few cutting boards; believe it or not, I use them all!) After a couple weeks of clicking this baby on and off, here’s my opinion: I love the decorative look and artsy feel of this plug-in versus other ones you’ll find in my home for sure, but the openness of the melted wax makes me hesitant to put it anywhere other than my kitchen, unless an outlet is safe out of my children’s reach. So for me the Plug-In Fragrance Warmer is a bit limiting, but if you want a more beautiful, unique option to those “other” plug-in fragrances, it’s definitely the way to go. Oh, and if you have limited counter space but want a little mood lighting and a little fragrance, the Plug-In Fragrance Warmer is a great option!

We’re well into wedding season, and if you’re not a fan of the whole registered-at-Target thing, I’d consider a candle warmer from Candle Warmers, Etc. The Plug-in Fragrance Warmer may  not be as flashy as a new set of pots and pans but it is a lot more budget friendly. And what newlywed couple doesn’t want their 200-square-foot studio apartment smelling good? –Emily

Podcasts? Videos? Momprenuer Interviews? Product Reviews? Networking opportunities?

Happy Friday! – Daria XO

Clementine Art is a line of “simple, wholesome, and clean art supplies with all the ingredients they need, and none of what they don’t. … [The] products contain only natural ingredients and are certified non-toxic and meet CPSIA requirements.” The company sent us their six pack of natural paint, which uses earth-based mineral pigments for the colors and contains no dyes or synthetic additives.

Question is, does it look, feel, and…well…paint like paint? According to two budding artists, YES! The girls sat down one evening and painted away. Here’s Madison in action:

Madison’s take on Clementine Art’s all-natural paint: “I really like the bright colors and they’re fun to paint with. I painted a picture and I really liked how the colors stand out. I couldn’t tell the difference between the blue and black, so I think they should have labels.”

And here’s Lauren in action:

Lauren’s take on the paints: “I’m glad they’re not water paints because those run out quickly and you have to have water and stuff. I like that there’s a lot of the paint so you can make a lot of things with them and even mix them. It’s kind of hard to lighten them up because you can’t add water to them or they’ll smear.”

Though my kids haven’t been ones to eat glue, crayons, playdough or paint, I still feel better knowing the paints they’re using are “green” both for them and the environment. Clementine Art’s packaging is made form recycled stock and printed using soy ink in a wind-powered facility. They don’t contain: petroleum products, animal adhesives, artificial preservatives or synthetic colors or scents. I did notice the paints had a very earthy smell, most likely due to the mineral pigments used to color them. But other than that they seemed rich, smooth and vibrant. Oh, and they’re washable–yay!

Clementine Art also makes natural modeling dough, markers, glue, soy crayons and soy crayon rocks. They have a fab gifts set that includes their dough, crayons, crayon rocks and glue. Perhaps I should pick up a couple boxes of crayons and markers; this whole painting thing was pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my kids. –Emily

click here to bid>>

Dweebies was first to be tried and tested by Madison, Lauren and me. The concept is fairly easy; you collect Dweebies—by far the cutest creatures ever printed on playing cards—by matching cards on both ends of any row (horizontally or vertically). Yes, the concept is easy but some of those Dweebies are super sly and will be gone before you can pair them with a match. We learned this the hard way a few times! You win by having collected the most Dweebies once the game is over—or those Dweebies are at a standstill.

Madison’s comments: “I think it’s cool how each card has its own personality. I think it’s also cool you can see how many there are of each card. I love this game!” (Note: Each card has a small number telling you how many matches that Dweebie has…yes, there’s a little strategy involved.)

Lauren’s comments: “It’s fun. It’s really easy to learn and all the Dweebies have different personalities and the game even gets your brain working.” (Good to know someone’s brain is working during summer vacation!)

My comments: “I actually really, really loved playing this game. I was the one begging for ‘just one more game, please!’ The Dweebies are super cute, the games aren’t too long and it’s seriously fun!”

The next game we tested was Rory’s Story Cubes. What I love about this game is it’s one of those you can actually play by yourself AND doubles as a great non-messy travel game. The tiny little box contains nine cubes, all with a variety of different pictures on them. All you do is roll the cubes, throw out a “Once upon a time…” and you’re on your way! You can play however you’d like: roll all nine and take turns building a story using all nine pictures; divide up the cubes, roll and then take turns building your story. The possibilities are endless! We divided the cubes among the three of us and each took turns rolling one, adding to the story as we went—a story that included a scarab beetle, lightning and a letter addressed to a padlock.

Madison’s comments: “I like it because it’s funny how people make up the stories as they go and you don’t know what they’re going to say.”

Lauren’s comments: “I really like them because you can tell your own story.”

My comments: “This is a really great game for me because I have very little imagination. Just ask my girls how well I do playing Barbies or Polly Pockets. I suck. But Rory’s Story Cubes got my storytelling juices flowing by supplying the images and letting me run with it. I think this would be an awesome travel game too!”

Both Dweebies and Rory’s Story Cubes are award-winning games. After testing all four games from Gamewright, I’m convinced this company is the way to go when it comes to fun, educational, imaginative games. We’ve seriously loved every one! –Emily

*** GIVEAWAY! Gamewright is giving away one game, winner’s choice! ***

NOTE: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•   Visit Gamewright.com and leave a comment telling us which game you’d most like to try.
•   “Like” Gamewright on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 30, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Nadia P., the winner of the Gamewright giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I was so excited to test Fuzzibunz’s One Size cloth diaper because it’s different from everything else I’ve seen. To adjust the size of the diaper, you use the elastics that have been threaded through the legs as well as the back of the waist. This gives unparalleled perfect sizing! With the elastic, you get more than 8 customizable settings. When my friend brought over her very tiny 2 month old to check out my cloth diapers, Fuzzibunz’s One Size fit the newborn the best. This baby has a 12-inch waist and her thighs are 5 inches around, so I was really impressed. It took a bit of work to get the elastics that short, but they don’t have have to be often adjusted. The ends of the elastics tuck back into the diaper and they haven’t come out in the wash at all!

This diaper comes with 2 microfiber soakers (one’s shorter than the other for when the diaper is adjusted to the smaller size), and they’re really absorbent. When Holly needed a little bit of extra padding, I did find it tight to get both soakers into the diaper, however I did it! I really like that this diaper is so trim. It’s not too wide in the crotch and so it fits nicely into Holly’s thigh folds. It’s a comfortable diaper for her to wear – no red marks! And as a bonus, the diaper dries quickly!

Here’s a little more about the Fuzzibunz’s One Size Cloth Diaper:

In a One Size diaper ‘durability” is especially important. You want that diaper to fit for 3+ years from the time your baby is born until the time they are out of diapers….and possibly for other children. FuzziBunz® are already built to last. After 10 years as a leader in the cloth diaper industry, we prefer the precision and durability of snap closures on our products, and by offering a unique and “replaceable for pennies” elastic system on the diapers, we can promise our customers years of extended use. Not only will your CLOSURES last for 3 years your ELASTIC will LAST for as long as it will and can be replaced in less than 10 minutes! No re-sewing, no seam-ripping! FuzziBunz® are a great and valuable investment.

This diaper is available in 14 different colors, so you can easily get one to go with all of your child’s outfits! I can vouch that the crushed berries and grape are super cute. Head on over to the Fuzzibunz website to learn more and to find a retailer. – Katie

Let’s talk boosters. Is your child at that stage where they want to be at the dinner table with you, like a big kid? Well, is this the review for you! I’ve been using, and LOVING, Mutsy grow-up! booster. Holly loves it too. Let me give you a little break down of how our first experiences went with it.

Day 1: Holly tries it out for the first time and loves her new perspective. My husband and I mourn how grown-up our little girl looks.

Day 2: I sit Holly in the booster and she immediately vomits. A lot. I quickly call my husband for back-up and while he baths Holly, I clean the booster.

Day 3 and on continued very much like Day 1. Let’s focus on Day 2 and the clean-up. The seat reducer detaches from the base, allowing me to get into every nook, leaving behind no trace of an upset stomach. The webbing straps easily rinsed. When I was confident that everything was all clean, I put the booster on the porch to dry. By the next morning, we were ready to use it again, vomit-free. Seriously the easiest clean-up EVER. Sometimes boosters with plastic padding and cracks that can catch and keep all kinds of goobers come to mind and I feel grossed out and so grateful that my booster is by Mutsy and has been designed very well. When the booster needs a quick touch-up, I just wipe ‘er on down with a damp cloth. I don’t scrub though because I don’t want the foam on the seat reducer to crumble and I did find that I had to be extra careful when cleaning the bottom of the booster due to some slight unevenness in the foam.

I like that the booster comes equipped with shoulder straps (that remind me of suspenders and look pretty darn cute), however if they’re not tightened just right they can easily slip off the shoulder. I found that when the shoulders straps were fastened right, Holly was reclined slightly, which in it’s own way worked for me because then she wasn’t smashing her bowl of food out of my hands. These days I just use the lap strap. I love the clean and simple design of the grow-up! booster. Add to it all the reasonable price tag, and you’ve got yourself the booster seat you’ve been looking for!

Mutsy also makes an innovative high chair that follows in the same clean and simple design of the grow-up! booster. It’s called the easygrow chair and it grows with your child with it’s unparalleled adjustability. You’re going to love it. And check out their stroller options. I’m drooling over the design and flexibility of the 4rider. Doesn’t it look cool? To purchase a booster (choose from 6 sweet colors!), easygrow chair, or/and a 4rider just head right on over to Mutsy! -Katie

Happy I shared??? You’re Welcome!! LOL!!

Bari J. acts as Boutique Cafe’s Official Correspondent again at Spring Quilt Market (2010). Bari speaks with designer Kay Whitt from Sew Serendipity about her new book and clothing patterns – they look SCRUMPTIOUS!!

Special thanks to Bari J Ackerman for her incredible coverage of Spring Market! We love you Bari! More Market video coverage is on the way, keep tuning in.

**Interested in sponsoring an upcoming episode of Boutique Cafe? contact us at info@boutiquecafe.com for more details

** Click button below to view video coverage, or view it on our YouTube channel right here>>

But my perspective on Bluetooth headsets has changed somewhat thanks to Jawbone’s new ICON line. These little pieces of ear candy are seriously cool, cool enough to have me considering one…and I thought that would never happen. Fortunately Jawbone was willing to send me the ICON ACE to review for Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish so I could check out this bejeweled earpiece for our readers.

The Bluetooth headset arrived and even the packaging was cool:

The ICON ACE is a sort of pewter/bronze/ooh-I-love-shiny-things color and comes with a variety of earbuds to ensure a comfy fit. I found a combination of pieces worked best for me (I have funky elf-shaped ears) and made the ICON headset nice and secure. Here are all the goodies you’ll find inside the package:

So you’re pretty much set for life! The ICON is pretty cool—it has all these fun features like a little voice telling you how much battery life you have left and super duper NoiseAssasin, a “proprietary technology that eliminates background noise from mobile phone conversations.” Basically it can tell your voice from the kids screaming for Icees in the background so you come through loud and clear. I know it works because I had an easy conversation with my mom using my new ICON ACE, something that doesn’t usually happen while in the car.

Jawbone’s ICON also comes with MyTALK (personalize your ICON with some free apps) and the ability to manage two different calls from two different phones—at the same time. Oh, and did I mention it’s CNET’s highest rated headset ever?

I gave my ICON ACE a thorough test-run and it passed with flying colors. Of course the headset does get a little warm after extended use and I did get the occasional “are you talking to me?” look from other people while getting takeout from Kneaders Bakery, but the ACE did raise my super cool momness to a new level. I only wish I had a photo of my newfound celebrity status thanks to Jawbone’s ICON but unfortunately I was too busy breaking up fights, wiping sticky fingers and keeping kids buckled while driving to snap a self-portrait. But I promise I was cool. In fact, I looked just like this gal, only with short hair:

P.S. The Jawbone ICON would make a fabulous Father’s Day gift even if you’re husband’s not Brad Pitt! –Emily

You may remember Kushies from Emily who reviewed their overnight bag and some of their cool toys. Did you know that Kushies is the world’s washable diaper leader? I found out why when I tested their Ultra-Lite AIO diapers, which is just one of their many options. The diaper was great – no leaks. Plus it’s quick to dry despite being an AIO. You know what else the diaper is quick at? Getting on the baby – it’s really easy to diaper a baby with this one, which is a huge plus when you have a child who prefers nudity, like mine. Another feature that I just have to highlight is that the toddler sizing goes up to 45 lbs. I think that’s so great! Most cloth diapers only go up to 30 or 35 lbs, limiting cloth diaper use for chubbier babies (and don’t we all love a chubby baby or toddler!?). One thing I haven’t liked about the diaper is that although the tabs can fold over and adhere to the inside of the diaper (via hook and loop closure), they don’t always stay done up in the wash. So sometimes they come out stuck to other diapers. I also wish I could adjust the rise a little bit too.

Here’s a little more info about the diaper:

Our Ultra-Lite “All-In-One” form-fitted washable cloth diapers are an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable diapers yet just as easy to use!  Featuring 6 layers of 100% soft cotton-flannel with a special absorbent soaker layer inside, and a lightweight waterproof shell on the outside.  The hook and loop closure system and the extended tabs provide optimum adjustability for a snug fit.  Our patented, built in-flap can be folded up for boys or down for girls for extra absorbency where they need it most. Better for your baby, better for the environment and better for your pocket book!

Overall, I totally recommend you try out the Ultra-Lite Diaper. It’s so affordable and you won’t be disappointed! You can order a trial pack, which includes everything parents need to have a positive cloth diapering experience for what feels like a steal of a deal to me. The pack includes:

• (2)-Ultra-Lite diapers
• (2)-Washable diaper liners
• (2)-Washcloths
• (10)-Biodegradable diaper liners (not recommended for septic tanks)

Make sure you take a browse around Kushies’ website. They have so many great products from clothing, to diaper bags, to bedding and more! – Katie

****Giveaway!! Kushies is giving away one Ultra-Lite AIO Diaper to one lucky winner!***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Visit Kushies and leave a comment saying what print you like the best (of any of their cloth diapers).
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link.
• “Like” Kushies Baby on Facebook and leave a comment that you did so.

Include a valid email address for our drawing (does not need to be included in your comment text). We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: June 21, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

***Promotion: Kushies is offering Boutique Cafe readers 10% off any order. Just enter the code boutiquecafe2010 at checkout. Expires: July 14, 2010***

Congratulations Tomoko! You’re the winner of our giveaway!

If you’re tired of hearing voices then snag a set of EarPollution CS40 headphones from iFrogz. These stylish, lightweight headphones are the newest addition to the EarPollution headphone line by iFrogz and come in five colors: white, black, blue, red and pink. Not only do these headphones make life a little more comfortable for those around you (i.e., they don’t have to play Name That Tune when you’re plugged in), they are also super comfortable on the ears. In fact, the CS in CS40 stands for “comfort series.” The ultra-cushioned ear cups mean you can wear these babies for hours on end…or until your Pandora hours are up.

We received a pair of white CS40s, which were quickly followed by a pair of black due to the white losing sound in one ear. But no worries—I quickly learned iFrogz has superior customer service. They sent us the new pair and informed me that even if I were a “normal” customer to iFrogz and mentioned my problem to customer support, they would have replaced the item, too. Good to know! Before we lost sound in one ear, I did catch my daughter rocking out while wearing the CS40s, but my Flip video version was too quiet to hear her sing off key. Instead you can enjoy this little snapshot I snagged from the video:

But we had no problems with the second pair, and I gave them a few thorough test runs during late-night work sessions in the home office. The CS40s lived up to their comfort claim and the sound was seriously awesome. It was like surround sound for my little brain. Nothing like Jack Johnson sitting next to you while writing a blog post!

M husband is kind of an audio/video geek aficionado and iFrogz’s EarPollution CS40s would make the perfect Father’s Day gift for a guy like him! At only $39.99, they are an affordable way to say “I love you…but not the sounds coming from that action-packed movie you’re watching in the home theater.” –Emily

*** Giveaway! iFrogz is giving away one (1) pair of EarPollution CS40 headphones, winner’s choice! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Visit iFrogz.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite color from the CS40 line.
•   “Like” iFrogz on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow iFrogz on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 18, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Tina R., the winner of the iFrogz CS40 headphones giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

We’ve also been using their Organic Blue Agave here and there, though I have yet to master the art of this sweetener.

With my preference for Wholes0me Sweeteners in general, it was a no-brainer to say yes when they wanted to send me samples of their new flavored agave syrups to review on the Daily Dish. Soon a gift package arrived complete with syrups, tee and tote:

Also in the set was their Organic Raw Blue Agave (already a fan!) and Organic Light Corn Syrup (have yet to try this one–haven’t made anything with corn syrup in it lately).

Because I’m still figuring out this whole substitution thing (and my first attempt at cookies was a disaster, all my fault and not Wholesome Sweeteners’), I went for the quickest, simplest way to try out the Vanilla Organic Blue Agave:

You can tell by that last frame my Diet Coke was so much happier with Wholesome Sweeteners’ vanilla flavoring rather than the stuff I usually put in it. Yes, it still has aspartame but what can you do other than drink the fully loaded version, and I simply HATE calories.

We tested the Maple Organic Blue Agave in oatmeal and it passed, though it wasn’t quite the same as plain ol’ brown sugar. Perhaps it’s that wholesome thing again, something our tastebuds could easily get used to. Oh, and we gave all but Vanilla a test run over pancakes one night. The biggest hits were Cinnamon and Maple. Strawberry left something to be desired over pancakes, but I think it would be perfect mixed into drinks (even the non-aspartame kind), teas or even salad dressings. Yum!

A little about Wholeseome’s Organic Flavored Agaves: they are low glycemic and 25% sweeter than sugar. That’s like two for the price of one! And if flavored Blue Agave syrups weren’t enough, Wholesome Sweeteners also offers a variety of other products, from raw honey to molasses (all Fair Trade Certified and organic). How can you not love something as sweet as that! –Emily

*** Giveaway! Wholesome Sweeteners is giving away one tote complete with their NEW flavored Blue Agave syrups! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway. Please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Visit WholesomeSweeteners.com and leave a comment telling us what product you’d most like to try.
•   “Like” Wholesome on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow Wholesome on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 16, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Jocelin B., the winner of the Wholesome Sweeteners giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

GroVia, by The Natural Baby Company, is the rebrand GroBaby and makes everything you need to go completely green when it comes to cloth diapers. I’ve been testing their Hybrid Shell and Soaker set (as well as their Cloth AIO, more to come later), and I love it. This diaper is truly different from everything else on the market. It’s beautifully made and has awesome design. A lot of thought went into this diaper and I definitely appreciate that! Plus, the cotton is buttery soft, organic, and impressively absorbent. I love that the soaker snaps out and is easily replaced with a new, fresh soaker. I’ve rarely had to wash my shell due to the gathered edges and absorbency of the soaker and less laundry is always a plus. Although the initial price tag may seem a bit on the higher end of cloth diapering, remember that you can use one shell with at least 2 soakers (in my case 3+, but this all depends on your baby), which quickly brings down the cost of cloth diapering to the lower end. Score. The soaker does take longer to dry than some other cloth diapers, but as I’ve mentioned before, this just proves to me that the soaker will soak up a ton! Or if you’re cloth diapering on the go, there’s also innovative BioSoakers, which stick right into your GroVia shell and can be composted, flushed or just plain thrown-out.

I think my favorite feature of this diaper is that it’s slim. It’s not much bigger than a disposable diaper – we’re talking half the bulk of most cloth diapers and it’s small in width in the crotch area. Because Holly is petite and has a small bottom, this diaper is perfect for her!

Does your baby need a bit of a boost? GroVia has you covered with their Organic Cotton Boosters as well as with their Stay Dry Booster that’s 3 layers of organic cotton topped with fleece to keep your baby dry and comfy. Make sure to check out the Bioliners. Holly has had a reaction to another typer of liner so I’m really careful about what I put directly against her skin. GroVia Bioliners haven’t irritated her skin in the least, plus they’re highly durable and a great price.

Here’s a bit more about GroVia:

GroVia’s mission is to simplify the way parents nurture baby, naturally. The company is dedicated to creating the ultimate in cloth diapering and natural baby products. Each product is designed out of necessity and innovation. Buying from GroVia means you are purchasing well made, natural and often organic products that have been tested and proven in the marketplace. Since its inception, GroVia has practiced supporting small businesses that help sustain healthy lifestyle choices, such as cloth diapering.

I’m extremely happy with the GroVia Hybrid and I would recommend them to any parent considering cloth diapering as well as any long-time cloth diapering parents!. -Katie

****Giveaway!! GroVia is giving away one Shell Set + Wipes to one lucky winner!****

Here’s how to enter. Each is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Visit GroVia and leave a comment telling me what 2 shell colors/patterns are your favorite.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link.
• Like GroVia on facebook and leave a comment that you’re their newest fan.

Deadline: June 14, 2010 (midnight). I’ll draw the winner, randomly, from the comments and contact her/him via email. The winner will have 24 hours to reply to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Congratulations Jacobsen Family – you’re the winner!

Before I share this much requested tutorial, I thought I would answer a burning question that I have been bombarded with….WHY WHY WHY would I want to share a tutorial on an item I sell for profit?

A little background…I started making and selling camera straps back in January of 2008. Back then, there was only me and one other person selling the camera strap slipcovers. It was an extremely successful and rewarding venture for me and one I still enjoy and offer to customers. It helped kick start a business that I love and thrive on. With so many designers out there now offering camera strap slipcovers, the market is flooded with this particular item. It became important for me to come up with new ideas and products to ensure that my business grows. I have been extremely blessed to have been able to expand my designs and sell additional camera accessory products which is the bulk of my business.

My main reason for offering this tutorial, even though I do sell these as part of my inventory, is because I am extremely thankful for the support and business I have received throughout the years and I want to give something back to the “lovers of all things handmade” community. I have received LOTS of tips and help from many, many members of this wonderful community over the years and I want to share something with you all. Just a way of saying THANKS!!

The tutorial idea actually started as a plan for an eBook for my camera strap slipcovers back in June of 2009 (I actually had to look that up…was thinking it couldn’t have been THAT long ago). Time just didn’t seem to be on my side and I let the project go on the back burner. I have finally finished it and have decided to turn my eBook into a tutorial instead.

My tutorial is not the first tutorial out there on how to make your own camera strap slipcovers. But mine are a little different. When I first started making the straps, my first priority was stylish, COMFY straps that make wearing your camera more enjoyable. So not only did I focus on fun fabrics, the overall quality and construction of the strap, but I came up with a strap that is also lined AND padded. Not just fabric only straps. You have 4 layers of fabric plus two layers of fleece padding sitting on your neck. How nice is that? Now I am going to share with you HOW I do it.

Now with all that said (man that turned into a longer spiel than I intended), here is the camera strap tutorial. I really hope that it is a fun and easy project that you enjoyed and hope that the finished product will bring you lots of joy and COMFORT when shooting for business and/or pleasure.

Padded Camera Strap Slipcover Tutorial

Materials Needed:

· Cotton Fabric (1 piece printed; 1 piece coordinating solid)
· Coordinating Thread
· Lightweight Fusible Fleece
· Rotary Cutter/Scissors
· Acrylic Ruler
· Iron

Finished size for this particular camera strap slipcover is 22 inches long by approximately 2.25 inches wide. Please read ENTIRE tutorial FIRST before starting. It makes more sense that way.

You will need to cut your fabrics (each piece – the print and coordinating solid) 23 inches long by 5.5 inches wide. This will give you TWO separate pieces (one print and one solid). Press both pieces to get out all wrinkles. Now lay those aside.

Now cut ONE piece of fusible fleece 21 inches long by 4.5 inches wide. Fleece should be cut one inch shorter (width wise) than the fabric. This will make it easier to sew when finishing your side seams. Length should be 2 inches shorter than fabric. Fleece will stretch when pressing to your fabric and your length will increase as you are pressing. I try and leave a ½ gap at each end of strap so that when you are folding in the fabric, you will not have to worry about the fleece’s bulkiness. Now set aside.

Putting RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER (printed fabric facing solid fabric), sew or serge together the length (the longest sides) of both fabric pieces using a 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving the ends open (this will make an inside out fabric tubing where printed fabric is facing in). (See image 1).

{Image 1}

With fabrics still facing right sides together (inside out), line up fleece evenly centered (I just eyeball this…I do not actually measure it) on the SOLID fabric piece and press (follow manufacturer’s instructions for iron settings). Make sure that you adhere the entire piece. I then let my fleece cool completely before moving on. (See image 2).

{Image 2}

Once fleece has cooled, turn right side out (where printed fabric is now facing out) and press both side seams. Fleece will now be on the inside of the strap between the WRONG sides of the solid and printed fabric. (See images 3-6).

{Image 3 (Turning strap right side out)}

{Image 4 (What strap looks like once it is turned right side out)}

{Image 5 (Press both side seams)}

{Image 6 (What strap looks like once both sides are pressed)}

Turn both ends of straps ½ inch toward the inside of the strap (tucking raw edges of fabric into the strap) and press. (See image 7).

{Image 7}

Sew both ends of straps (width) together with a straight stitch using a 1/8 – 1/4 inch seam allowance (personal preference….I like mine as close to the end of the fabric as I can get so I use 1/8 inch). (See image 8).

{Image 8}

Fold strap (printed fabric on outside/solid fabric touching) in half lengthwise lining up edges and press.
(See images 9 & 10)

{Image 9}

{Image 10}

Sew the two OPEN sides lengthwise together using a 1/8 inch seam allowance starting at the top. Make sure that you reverse/back stitch at stress points (ends of straps near openings). (See image 11).

{Image 11}

And TADA!! You are done! Was that easy or what?

Finished strap.

How easy was that? Now all you have to do is slide it on your commercial camera strap and you are ALL SET!! – Amy

Article by: Amy of Priddy Creations
Link to her website >
Link to her Etsy Shop>
Follow her on Twitter >

I believe this is George’s favorite CD so far all thanks to their “Little Red Wagon” song (track two). I’m not sure if I should thank the Sugar Free Allstars for this song, which George requests every time we get in the car, or send them a bill for the red wagon that is now on my son’s birthday wish list. It goes like this: climb in the car, start the engine, hear George request “the wagon song” followed immediately by his asking me yet again when he’s going to get a red wagon. Every. Time.

My personal favorites are “Rock Awesome” (track one), a good head-bobbing song, and “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da,” always a classic. Perhaps Sugar Free Allstars’ music is easy to love because the talent behind the songs, Chris (Boom!) Wiser and Rob (Dr. Rock) Martin, have been making music for five years and maintain a grown-up music career playing thir “free-wheeling groove machine” (VOX magazine) style of music at clubs and other venues across the U.S. and Europe. I like grown-up musicians who can rock both the adult and children’s music world!

Have some road trips planned this summer? You’ll want at least four or five children’s CDs for the kiddos that won’t drive you nuts. May I suggest Funky Fresh and Sugar Free by Sugar Free Allstars? (Just make sure you have a little red wagon packed somewhere among the suitcases.) –Emily

*** Giveaway! Sugar Free Allstars is giving away two (2) Funky Fresh and Sugar Free CDs!***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Listen to sample songs from Funky Fresh and Sugar Free and leave a comment telling us your favorite.
•   “Like” the Sugar Free Allstars on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did so.
•   Follow Sugar Free Allstars (@sfas) on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 10, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Kendyl and Marie, the winners of the Sugar Free Allstars giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I was so excited when my Thirsties Duo Diaper came in the mail and I knew right away that I had chosen the cutest print – blackbird. The Duo Diaper was just barely launched in four prints, in addition to eight solid colors, and I was among the first to get one! I was definitely eager to try it out, which could be done quickly since I only had to wash and dry it once before putting it on my baby’s behind. I loved that I didn’t have to wait until laundry day to put it through the wringer 5-6 times.

The Duo Diaper has a water proof outer (a big “must” in my opinion), and a super soft microfleece inner and mine hasn’t pilled even though it’s been washed lots. The diaper comes with two inserts – one is a hemp-cotton jersey (manufactured in the USA), and the other is polyester-microfiber terry. Neither layer is very thick, but they absorb really well! The inserts snap together at each end making stuffing easy and you can stuff the diaper from the front or the back, making it simple to ensure the inserts are straight and flat in the diaper. No more wrestling with the diaper! Plus, you don’t have to remove the inserts before you toss the diaper in the wash – the inserts will agitate free from the diaper in the washing machine. Score! The jersey insert takes a bit longer to dry, but I don’t mind one bit. That just proves to me that it’s super thirsty! The diaper comes equipped with a leg gusset, which helps to contain messes. I’ve found that to be a handy feature, however I do have to adjust the gussets after I put the diaper on Holly to prevent red marks showing up on her chubby thighs.

Here’s a little more about Thirsties Company:

Thirsties® is a small (but growing!) cloth diaper company committed to greener parenting and Eco Friendly solutions, not to mention 100% USA Made quality! Erin, the owner of Thirsties, started this business with an old sewing machine and $100 5 years ago. Through her hard work and diligence, her company is now one of the leaders in the cloth diaper industry. Our diapers are now made by work at home mothers, and very close to our Canon City [Colorado] warehouse, reducing our carbon output.

Did I mention that the diaper arrived in a biodegradable mailer? This company is serious about protecting the environment every way they can! To learn more about Thirsties (and to peruse their diaper selection) you can visit their website or request a free catalog. -Katie

***Giveaway!!! Thirsties is giving away a Duo Diaper to one lucky winner!***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Visit Thirsties and tell us what print/colour you like best
• “Like” Thirsties on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: June 8, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents only.

Congratulations Abbie! You’re the winner of a Thirsties Duo Diaper!

Of course board gamers like us are always looking for fun, new games to try (and add to the shelves) so I was excited when Gamewright sent us four of their games for the family to try out and review on the Daily Dish. Today we’ll be sharing with you our take on Gamewright’s Take the Cake and Can You See What I See? Bingo Link.

First up is Take the Cake, an award-winning game that’s focus is the ever popular cupcake. (I was sold when I first saw the name of this one!)

The game is for ages four and up and has you shaking a sprinkle shaker full of colorful miniature wooden shapes. If any shapes match a cupcake on a card, you add them and when completely “frosted,” the card is yours. That’s it! Shaking the shaker helps with fine motor skills and shape and color recognition.

Now, Livi is only two but she does know her shapes and colors so we gave it a shot. She and Madison had a great time playing this little game, although it was hard to keep a two-year-old focused on shaking, then matching, then waiting for Madison to take her turn. (Hence the four-and-up guideline.) But even so it was still a great game for reinforcing Olivia’s knowledge of colors and shapes. I love the simplicity of the game and the dang cute cupcakes, shaker and “sprinkles.” Plus it’s one I could handle playing over and over again, which is a good thing because that’s what we’ve done since we first opened Take the Cake!

Next is Gamewright’s Can You See What I See? Bingo Link game. We love Walter Wick’s Can You See What I See? books and we love a good game of Bingo, so we couldn’t wait to try out a game that featured both.

Though designated for ages six and up, George was able to play with just a little coaching from Mom. Each board features the same 61 objects but in different places. The goal is to create a linking path from one color to the same color on the other side (red to red, blue to blue, etc.). You call out an object and everyone must find that object on their own board. That’s it! Sounds almost too simple to be fun but it really was—even after playing multiple times.

Can You See What I See? Bingo Link is also an award-winning game and helps with spatial relations, fine motor skills and visual discrimination. (I need work on that last one; I could never find those dang objects!) And actually, this is a great game to play with kids of all ages because it kept Livi entertained (she loved placing those little pegs wherever her heart desired) while I played with the older three. And it never gets old—I swear those objects move around the board when you’re not looking!

I can’t wait to review the two other games from Gamewright. The girls are super excited to crack them open. Look for another Gamewright review and giveaway in a few weeks! I think these next two are going to be great travel games perfect for summer vacations, so stay tuned! –Emily

*** GIVEAWAY! Gamewright is giving away one game, winner’s choice! ***

NOTE: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•   Visit Gamewright.com and leave a comment telling us which game you’d most like to try.
•   “Like” Gamewright on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 4, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Tina R., the winner of the Gamewright giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

At first glance you can tell Bear Feet Shoes are fabulously stylish, but what you can’t see is how flexible they are. Touted as “the most flexible kids shoes,” these babies “mold to the shape of the foot instead of forcing the foot to conform.” (Wish I could say the same about a certain pair of heels in my closet…) Why is a shoe’s flexibility important for children? Because children are not heavy enough to fully flex most other soles. Fortunately Bear Feet Shoes are made with a natural crepe rubber sole, and don’t have any thermoforming plastics, which “allows the leather to take the shape of the foot, without constricting the toes and inhibiting the natural foot development.” (I normally wouldn’t quote so much from a site but sometimes the science needs to speak for itself!)

Do you see the super cute T-Snap shoes above? Those little flowers are sold separately and come in a wonderful selection of colors and snaps. How cute is THAT?!?! (No, they don’t come in a women’s size 8—:I already checked.) Their Bearlerina shoes are to die for as well. Seriously.

Bear Feet Shoes sent George a pair of their Woven Toe shoes from their Classic collection. They also threw in Crystal Posie Clips and Flower Power Cuff from the Bear Necessities collection for little Livi. Of course what makes the Woven Toe shoes in gray SO awesome (and most all the other colors in this style) is they are awesomely unisex, a great thing when it comes to hand-me-downs among family members!

Here are George and Livi sporting their new Bear Feet Shoes gear. (The cuff was too big for Livi so she used her right to choose to choose not to wear it no matter how much Mom bribed her! But she loved the hair clips!)

I know, it’s hard to see the shoes because my kids are so dang adorable, but if you look closely you can see how super cool those Woven Toe Bear Feet Shoes are! And they really are some of the most flexible shoes I’ve ever seen. And Livi’s hair clips? I may have to borrow those—at least I know they’ll fit!

Bear Feet Shoes has a wonderful collection of infant and toddler shoes, from ballet flats and booties to T-snaps and sandals. I dare you to feed your shoe addiction with a pair or two from Bear Feet Shoes! –Emily

*** GIVEAWAY!!! Bear Feet Shoes is giving away one pair of children’s shoes to one winner and one gift set of their Bear Necessities line (that Flower Power purse is ADORABLE!) to a second winner! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•   Visit Bear Feet Shoes and leave a comment telling us your favorite shoe style.
•   “Like” Bear Feet Shoes on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow Bear Feet Shoes on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: June 1, 2010 (midnight). The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Beth V. and Holly H., the winners of the Bear Feet Shoes giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I like cute things for my baby. What Mom doesn’t!? And the Kissaluvs Marvels One Size Fitted Diapers are cute. They come in 3 different prints (I chose Zoo Blue) and have the softest lining I’ve ever felt in a cloth diaper. I guess that’s what happens when you combine 82% bamboo fibers and 18% recycled polyester. To adjust the rise, the front band of this diaper simply folds over and it has overlapping snaps so even the most delicate-waisted baby can be swaddled. That’s a feature that I really liked – I found it kept the booty from being too bootilicious! One complaint I had about the diaper was that about an inch of one layer of fabric came apart from the serged edge. Even though the outer fabric is adorable, Kissaluvs (and I) recommend using a diaper cover with them. It’s a bit of a shame to cover up the diaper, but it must be done. I found using a diaper cover to be more work-intensive and I discovered that I prefer a one-stop shop, as in a diaper that has a built in water-resistant outer layer.

Kissaluvs sent me their super soft Kissa’s Wool Lover Diaper Cover, already lanolized and just waiting to abate moisture. Kissaluvs also sells water-resistant PUL diaper covers that you could use instead of wool. The advantages to wool are that it’s anti-bacterial, allows air to circulate thus reducing diaper rash, and has superhero strength when it comes to absorbing water. Plus, you only have to wash it every 2-3 weeks (something any parent can appreciate whether you cloth diaper or not!). Every cloth diapering family needs a Kissa’s Wool Lover Diaper Cover. (Doesn’t Holly look adorable in hers??!) I used mine for naptime only because I wasn’t able to comfortably fit pants over the diaper and the wool cover, which worked fine with me since Holly doesn’t always go down for a nap fully clothed.

Make sure you check out Kissaluvs other products like the Antibacterial Pale Liner (it’s great), the boosters and soakers, plus the other cloth diapers. Kissaluvs definitely has you covered from birth onwards! – Katie

Psst: Check out the review I did of Kissaluvs Marvels One Size AIO – I love that diaper!

***Giveaway: Kissaluvs is giving away one of their cute Marvles One Size Fitted diapers to one lucky winner! Giveaway closes May 31 @ Midnight***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you would like. Each one is worth one entry. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

• Tell us what new product you’d like to see from Kissaluvs
• Visit Kissaluvs and tell us what product you like the best, or you’d like to try (other than the diaper in this review)
• Become a Fan of Kissaluvs on Facebook
• Tweet about this review and giveaway (leave the link in your comment)

****Promotion: Kissaluvs is offering Boutique Cafe readers 3 Awesome Terry wipes when you order from their online store and use the promotion code “BCafe.” Offer Expires May 28, 2010****

Oh how I love Quilt Market! The fabrics, the fun, the crazy antics with all my designer pals (sleepless nights up talking for hours, and sore feet). Unfortunately I’m not in Minneapolis for the 2010 Spring show this weekend. I’m so depressed about it, that I’m posting a happy picture of years past when I was able to attend in Portland and meet designer Amy Butler in person for the first time!

Even though I’m not there to cover the event this Spring…do not despair because Bari J. Ackerman is our Official Correspondent for Boutique Cafe (she has biz cards and everything!). Bari will be conducting video interviews at Quilt Market and bringing the footage back to share on Boutique Cafe’s podcasts. We’re so excited!! We love Bari, she attended Fall Market and snagged some outstanding interviews and information for our viewers last year. I’m so grateful she’s up for the challenge again.

If you’re at Market this weekend be sure to snag Bari and tell her all about your fabrics, patterns and how much you LOVE Boutique Cafe – you might just get featured!!

I can’t remember how or when I first discovered Multeepurpose but I’m ever so glad I did. If I’ve mentioned it in a Daily Dish review once, I’ve mentioned it a thousand times: I love (okay, more like LOVE) t-shirts, especially tees that are soft, comfortable, unique and full of purpose. (Was that a great segue or what?) Multeepurpose combines all of the above for a truly stylin’ line of feel-good—both literally and figuratively—apparel.

Rooted in an authentic commitment to change the world, one tee shirt at a time, we believe that t-shirts are walking billboards—effortlessly spreading ideas and messages.

I’ve never been prouder or more excited to be a walking billboard.

When you browse the Multeepurpose site you’ll find tees grouped by categories: Humanity, Ecology, Urgent, Animal and Liberty. I think the Humanity tees are my favorite, but I found ones to love in every category. Multeepurpose also has a line of tees dedicated to relief efforts in Haiti. Buy a tee from this group and 100% of the proceeds are donated to non-profits on the ground in Haiti. Awesome!

Multeepurpose sent tees for George, Olivia and me to try out (and immediately fall in love with). Olivia adored her “sunshine and penguins” shirt and George felt super cool in his “bull” shirt. (As long as he doesn’t call it that out loud we’re okay…) By the way, I’m definitely buying him more purple—dang, that kid looks good in that color!

As for me, I found my tee to be one of the comfiest tees in my closet. Though the sleeve length was a little long for my taste (hence the rolled-up style I’m sporting in the photo), I loved the extra long length and lived-in feel of the tee. I might have been able to size down (they seem to run true to size) and that would have fixed the sleeve problem a bit, but no matter. This Multeepurpose women’s tee is still fabulous!

I almost forgot to mention these tees are tagless (another fave of mine) and though they specify line drying, I did throw them in the dryer on a low setting. I had to give them a dryer test because I’m known for throwing clothes in the dryer that shouldn’t be dried. These shirts washed and dried beautifully!

With summer around the corner it is time to freshen up your t-shirt collection. Throw in some super soft “purposeful” cotton in the mix with a Multeepurpose tee. Actually, you might want at least two so you have one to wear while washing the other. You probably won’t want to wear anything else! –Emily

You all know I’m a newbie to cloth diapering and so I thought it a miracle that I quickly found a cloth diaper I love. Kissaluvs sent me their Marvels One Size AIO diaper and it is brilliant and so simple. It’s a pocket diaper, but I don’t have to pull the soiled soaker out prior to throwing it in the wash because the soaker comes out of the diaper as the washing machine agitates. And because it’s still attached to the diaper, I’m not fishing around for the matching soaker. See? Brilliant! Plus, the diaper dries quick, real quick. This diaper is so good that it’s become my go-to for naps and that’s really saying something since my Holly baby is a bit of a heavy wetter. I don’t even need to add an additional soaker pad. The Marvels One Size AIO has never leaked and has kept everything contained and where it belongs. The diaper is hugely dependable and has never let me down! -Katie

Other features of the Marvels One Size AIO diaper are:

• Waterproof exterior
• Super soft, stay-dry fleece next to skin keeps baby dry and comfortable
• Self cleaning: the soaker agitates out in the wash yet stays attached
• No stuffing or hunting for soakers in your washing machine!
• Gentle but effective elastic at legs and waist contains all messes
• Pocket in the back to stuff additional soakers if needed
• No messy Velcro. Adjustable snaps and overlapping wings ensures the diaper fits skinny and chubby babies alike
• One sized, fitting babies 7-35 pounds
• Super simple design, will be loved by dads and babysitters alike!

****Giveaway: Kissaluvs is giving away one of their fantastic Marvels One Size AIO diapers to one lucky winner! Giveaway closes May 21 @ Midnight****

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• visit Kissaluvs and tell us what color of the Marvels One Size AIO you like the best
• leave a comment saying which Kissaluvs products you’ve tried and likes the best
• become a fan of Kissaluvs on Facebook
• follow @Kissaluvs on Twitter
• write a review of kissaluvs on facebook, diaperpin.com or Amazon

****Promotion: Kissaluvs is offering Boutique Cafe readers 3 Awesome Terry wipes when you order from their online store and use the promotion code “BCafe.” Offer Expires May 28, 2010****

The winner is Rachel O. Congratulations! You have 24 hours to respond (check your email!) or a new winner will be chosen.

[me] & goji’s story is one of “dorm-crapeteria breakfasts,” Northwestern grads, Craigslist, a Swedish intern and muesli:

[we decided] to address the need … discovered in college. Our solution results in America’s favorite breakfast food, cereal, revamped with the nutritional focus of muesli and the flexibility of customization. Our solution is [me] & goji. We love this concept because it can benefit so many different people: both serious and unserious athletes, on-the-go moms, blueberry-haters and soy nut-lovers, Saturday morning cartoon connoisseurs and those with special dietary needs.

[me] & goji offers customers a yummy selection of pre-made cereals like San Marino Sunrise (artisanal cereal, golden granola, corn flakes and dried fruits: banana, apple, strawberry, pecans and pumpkin) and i <3 my <3 (artisanal cereal, oat bran, flax, chia, soy nuts, walnuts and dried cranberry and strawberry). They also have Strawberry Monster and Apple Monster for kids plus a couple granola mixes. (Anyone for Plum Island Pirate Booty?)

And these are just the pre-made mixes. Don’t forget you can create your own cereal using organic ingredients like goji oats, raw 5-grain muesli, quinoa flakes, cacao nibs, shredded wheat, dried fruits (goji berries, raspberry, banana, blueberry, currant to name a few), and nuts and seeds (pumpkin, flax, almonds, macademia, etc.). I swear that not even half of all the goodies you’ll find on the site!

[me] & goji sent me the popular Adam’s Apple mix, which includes their “flaxed & flaked” cereal base and cinnamon plus dried apple, cranberry, goji, golden raisin and pumpkin. Now, I’m not a huge fan of “fruity” cereals unless it’s Trix, so it was a bit too sweet and chewy for my taste, but I adored the cereal base (even if it did get soggy a bit too quickly) and even enjoyed the apple and pumpkin.

My husband didn’t get a chance to try it but I know he’ll be a big fan–he loves dried fruit. I think for me it will better serve as a dry snack than a cereal, but it was tasty enough to have me already planning a future order. (Mine will have more almonds and granola and less of that healthy fruity stuff.)

A typical [me] & goji capsule is about 15 servings versus your traditional 8-serving cereal box. Your base cereal starts at $4.99 and each additional ingredient is $.99. You can make a decent, organic—and in some cases gluten-free— batch of cereal for under $8. A box of organic cereal at the store will run you a good $5 or so, and that’s for half the servings and a totally lame, non-customized ingredients list. Oh, and those off-the-shelf brands probably aren’t donating 5% of profits to charities and using earth-friendly vegetable inks for their printing needs. (You can view a full list of [me] & goji’s efforts to make a difference here. And before I forget, you can view the good-lookin’ guys behind the company here.)

Need a great gift idea for graduation? Whether you’re there to see the hat toss in person or sending a gift from afar, a capsule of custom cereal shows you care more so than a $20 in what is probably a non-recycled greeting card.

All I can say is, go [me] & goji or go home. –Emily

* Promotion! [me] & goji is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their order! Simply enter code GOJIGRAD when checking out!

Have you ever smelled your baby’s diaper? Not a dirty one. I’m talking about a clean, unsoiled one. The day I did, I was surprised at what entered my nose. It was definitely a chemical smell. Now, don’t get me wrong, disposable diapers are a Godsend. I don’t know how I would’ve survived the first few months of motherhood without them. But then, I started noticing how full our garbage bin always was. And the thing that was filling it up so fast was my daughter’s used diapers. I’m not out to compare carbon footprints, but let’s just say I’m not the greenest person and I really want to do something about it. I had been interested in cloth diapers while I was pregnant, but decided to see how the beginnings of motherhood went before I made any commitments to them. Well now I’m nearly 10 months in and I’m feeling ready to commit. I’ve done a copious amount of research and here’s some cloth diapering basics that I’ve found handy to know.

Cloth diapers come in several different varieties. The most common are All In Ones (AIO) or Two In Ones (2IO). All in ones are, you guessed it, a single entity. No stuffing, no un-stuffing. They usually take longer to dry, but don’t require anything more than a wash and a dry. Two in ones include pocket diapers and the likes. These diapers have an outer element and then the absorbent cloth that often (but not always), requires un-stuffing or taking apart and then a bit of put together post-wash.

You can purchase One Sized diapers that will last from about 8 lbs to 35+ lbs. These usually have some sort of snap system to make them smaller. The advantage to these is that you’d buy a certain amount and they’d last from birth to potty training. And if you have two children in diapers these are handy because they can share, which can equal a little more sanity for Mom. Then there are size specific diapers and each brand has it’s own ranges (these diapers are commonly referred to as Perfect Fit). The advantage to these is they’re typically less bulky, especially for while baby is small because they don’t have any extra material snapped up.

The most important thing I’ve learned about cloth diapers is that while some parents love one brand, other parents don’t. A cloth diaper that works for you, may not for your BFF.

Over the next couple of months, I’ll be posting reviews and giveaways of cloth diapers. So if you’re already in the thick of it, or if this is the first time you’ve ever thought that maybe you can do it, hopefully I’ll be able to help you on your way and help you find what works best for you, your partner and most importantly, your child. -Katie

Hope you’ll all “LIKE” us on Facebook, we’d love to see you there! Come connect with hundreds of mompreneurs, bloggers, designers and moms like you!!

This Tweet Little Link Up will run for 1 week! Enjoy!! – Daria

First, a little bit about the artwork and Gregg, the artist behind these awesome pieces:

The concept behind Modern Bird Studios was born about three years ago a