Reviews by KayMMIV

KayMMIV says "Beautiful Bib, Love the workmanship!" about Cooshie Tooshie Baby Bib

KayMMIV — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:56:20 GMT

I got a thomas bib as part of a diaper and bib matching set from the mom behind Cooshie Tooshies. I love Kristi and I love her products and I wasn't disapointed with this one! I love the design and quality of the material. It fits Tristian so well, which is just so awesome as usually bibs will not fit around his thick neck. Ever since he was just a few months old most bibs you can get in the store would choke him. So I love that not only does this one fit him but that it features his favorite lovable charecter Thomas the Train. This bib was actually part of my first transaction buying from Kristi of Cooshie Tooshies. She's a wonderful and personable mom to buy from and I love her personal touch and how appreciated she makes me feel as a customer as well as how she gets to know you and will chat with you like a real person. She makes the chore of finding adn buying practicle needed items like diapers, clothes and bibs a more personal and enjoyable experience since she encourages...

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KayMMIV says "Not quite spill free, but still good for transitioning " about Avent Phillips Magic Cups With Handles Baby Bottle

KayMMIV — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:46:59 GMT

these are easy for baby to transition to, especially if you used Avent bottles. The shape and look are familar and my son only seemed to give a cursory notice to the new nipple/spout type. He really didn't even seem to notice that the spout was different when we transfered it to his baby bottles, then when we added the colored magic cups he just loved them. He really loved the colors of them and I was worried about the new shape but that didn't seem to bother him either, luckily. We don't use the lids that come with the magic cups however, they just leak way too much. Instead we use the old lids from the bottles and they don't leak and since the spout is made like the nipples are it just transfers and works great interchangably. (you can see what I mean in the action shots I'll post). They are more expensive then other options out there, but for a smooth transaction we dealt with that. Overall we are very happy with these cups, and love that they are BPA free.

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KayMMIV says "Not quite spill free, but still good for transitioning " about 2 Pack 9 Oz Magic Cups With Handles

KayMMIV — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:41:24 GMT

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KayMMIV says "Baby Sitter Saver " about havent seen any good ones

KayMMIV — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:22:17 GMT

My breastfed baby refused to take a bottle, from anyone. We tried all the tricks, he would rather go hungry then take a bottle, which meant no rest for Mom. While I loved the bond of breastfeeding I also would have loved to get a break. We finally tried this bottle on a recommendation from another breastfeeder who had gone through a similar situation.

Low and behold, Tristian drank from the bottle. I think it must be something about the shape, but he would take this bottle, and that was wonderful. My husband was also happy to get to be a bigger part of the feeding process (and I was happy not to be the only one who could feed our little one), so for us this was a great thing. This also meant that we could go out for more then an hour or two at a time again since baby had a source of food with the sitter :)

I also like that it fit with the avent breast pump system and had interchangable caps to nipples for storing milk.

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KayMMIV says "yummy smell and safe ingredients" about EO EO Hand Sanitizing Spray

KayMMIV — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:08:06 GMT

Yummy smell. Ingredients look great. Instead of normal alcohal in these products they use organic ethanol. Organic ethanol on a lable usually means ethanol produced from organic sugar beets.

I got this a while ago and then we moved to our new house and this product got lost in the shuffle of the move and I found it the other day shoved under the kitchen sink... go figure. So I tossed it in my coat pocket and have been using it to sanitize grubby toddler hands and faces, carts, toys and etc... ever since. Works like a dream and I don't have to worry about the ingredients on my baby's skin.

I recieved this product as part of a package I won in a contest of several natural products and would probably never purchase this item because it is very easy to make your own homemade sanitizer spray like this from alcohal, water and eos, but that's also a good way to know this product is the real deal. ;-)

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KayMMIV says "clarifying natural shampoo ;-) " about Earth Science Earth Science Fragrance Free Shampoo

KayMMIV — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:01:33 GMT

This shampoo works like most natural shampoos i've tried. it definitly cleans, but it also really dries. i am use to not needing a conditioner for my super long, thick and curly hair anymore, and after using this product i was back to having to condition when i used it, so it got passed off to my husband, who has no complaints with it. This works very well as a clarifying type shampoo. After swimming in a hotel pool and all the chlorine making it hard to lather up and wash your hair out this shampoo takes care of that. I definitly wouldn't use it for every shampoo though. It would probably really kill my hair after a while. For guys that use hair products like gel (like my husband) this is great at getting it out in one wash and leaving your hair soft. I love it when my husband uses it. Also it truly is fragrance free. There's no smell to it at all, not just a off smell like most fragrance free options.

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KayMMIV says "Berry Patch Natural Yumness but very sugary" about Annie's - Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks

KayMMIV — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:55:26 GMT

We got a sample of these. I tried a couple, and let my toddler (and subsequently the dog) eat the rest. I liked the flavor, and love that they are organic, but to me they were overly sugary, but I'm sure kids think that's great ;-) Tristian defenitly loved them and the dog was thrilled with them, so over all thumbs up.

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KayMMIV says "Awesome Safe Baby Powder " about Nature's Baby Organics Nature's Baby Silky Dusting Powder

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:53:15 GMT

Besides being 100% Vegan. Paraben, Propylene Glycol, Preservative, and Gluten Free. Hypo-Allergenic. And a Full ingredient disclosure product. I really like that this is an alternative to Talc and GMO Cornstarch. Talc, as we all have probably heard can cause polyps in your lungs, with an asthmatic son it is important to stay away from that. And with most the products bieng made from genetically modified cornstarch it is hard to find a truly 'green' alternative.

We cloth diaper because of my son's ezcema so diaper creams are used as a last resort when there is already a problem and have to bu used with disposables, which means paying more money for their use, then using the cloth diapers, and contributing to the growing numbers of dispoasables in landfills. But with my son having ezcema we have had to resort to that more then I like- even with cloth diapering he still gets rashes. This products has significantly lessoned the times I have had to resort to diaper creams.

This baby powder...

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KayMMIV says "wonderful diaper from a wonderful company" about Cushie Tushies Fleece Fitted Diapers

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:45:58 GMT

I love our Thomas the Train diaper from this great work at home mama and so does Tristian. It is super soft and squishy and just a great design and look and everything.

I also really love the quality of the fleece. Tristian wouldn't let me put a cover on over the diaper yesteday evening and since it's a fleece fitteds it didn't wet through, there was no moisture on his pants what so ever. and he wet it pretty good, so that's always nice. I wouldn't leave it on him indeffinitly and expect it to not wick, but it kinda acted like a built in soaker.

I got this diaper pretty darn cheap since it was premade and she was just wanting to get rid of it, but I checked out her prices and they are pretty darn good and I plan on trying out a few more if ds doens't start pling soon.

I really love how she will work with you for what you want. These diapers are all custom made to order. You choose your fabric print.There are MANY different outer prints to choose from! Take your pick and if you don't...

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KayMMIV says "great price, holds up amazingly" about Kushies Cloth Diapers

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:35:31 GMT

I have 6 of the all in one kushies toddler size clopth diapers. I bought 5 of these used in wonderful shape from a mom off cafemom who used them for about 10 months for her little one. When I got them I would have believed her if she told me she never used them, they looked like new. I've used them for 7 months now and they still look and work like new. I've bought one more new and you can't see any visable difference between it and the five used, not is there any discernable usable difference. I have no doubt these will still be in excellent shape and and used on the next baby.

Since other reviewers have done a mix of reviewing the brand (Kushies) and the diaper type (All-In-One) I will do the same:

I don't perfer all-in-ones because as other reviewers have noted any brand all-in-ones take forever to dry and the fit can be compromised depending on how they are shaped compared to how your lo is shaped. Also like any AIO diaper whatever the brand you have to take precautions to...

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KayMMIV says "yummy natural goodness" about Annie's Homegrown Organic Shells & Real Aged Cheddar Mac & Cheese, 6 Oz Boxes (Pack Of 12)

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:13:03 GMT

We found various kinds of Annies Pasta & Cheeses at Big Lots for $1 each so we really stocked up. I always prefer to eat organic when the price is doable and this made it pretty affordable. So even though this $1 a box is almost twice what conventional boxes of simlar products cost, for this product and the amount of food and ect... we felt it was worth it. I am glad we did too. I love this! I avoid boxed foods as a rule when it's conventional- and pass on it organic too cause it's normally cheaper to buy the pasta and seasonings and cheese/meat to put together yourself, but these have been really good, and helped out tremendously while we've been working on our new house and just not having as much time to make things from scratch. My toddler also really loves this, bu he is big pasta and cheese fan anyways. But both my husband and Ilove these and like I said it's really helped with saving time and if you can find it at a good price why not :)

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KayMMIV says "it says it's cruelty free but it's made in china.... " about Eco Tools Foundation Brush 1 ea

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:08:00 GMT

I was looking through the info about this brush online and everything was fine and dandy until I came acros one thing "made in china" well now. This worries me because china manufactorers often have very different definition of cruelty free then I do, as countless issues in the past have shown.

that and just the whole being made in china is a serious turn off for me when if comes to products in general.

On to the review of the actual product. I personally perfer a thicker more plush foundation brush since I perfer powder foundation and this brush works better to apply liquid. But as a liquid brush applicator this one does work very well and I like that the bristles don't clump up really badly like many of the thiner application brushes normally do. The bristles are very, very soft and smooth feeling on your skin and easy to clean. The bristles do not feel like a synthetic material so I would be extra careful to keep it dry and clean as it seems like a more permeable material.

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KayMMIV says "expensive by VERY worth it!!!" about Ergo Baby Carrier

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:48:18 GMT

I didn't want to give up running and hiking with my toddler in a carrier BUT he is only a couple pounds away from the 32lb limit on our carrier.

I looked into carriers and the one with the best reviews for comfort and etc that is a toddler carrier too (goes up to 40lbs) is the ergo. But these things are EXPENSIVE!!!

So I sold a couple diapers and cashed in some $$$ from a survey site I do and came up with enough for an ergo :) I went looking on diaperswappers (which had great prices but I never got to them in time) and ebay where I came across a brand new in package ergo buy it now for $100 and free shipping () from a seller with 100% positive feedback out of thousands.

It came about a week later :)

Here's a couple pictures we took before a family walk.They aren't really great ones of the carrier, but you can see that it fits and adjusts amazingly well for my porker toddler :) I really like the feel of it, it does put some weight on your shoulders, but you can feel...

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KayMMIV says "these were just a horrible purchase decision" about Dappi Diaper Cover

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:42:39 GMT

I really really wanted to like these cost effective covers and they just wouldn't work, no matter what I did. They don't stay on, they don't fit well at all, which is crazy when the fitteds fit well so I guess the design is different for the covers. maybe snap ones would stay on better, but the hook and loop just sucks on the hook and loop ones. even if you get them to stay on (i resorted to pining them on one day) they still leak like crazy. maybe a different shaped baby would work in them, but my chubby lo just couldn't use the covers.

I really like the Dappi pinless cloth diapers and was suprised by how little these have in common. By contrast these don't work well, leak often and the large which is suppose to be 22-35lbs hardly fits my 24lb son. My son also continuously tries to take these off, which is a comfort issue that he does with the gerber wrap type covers also, but not with kushies or proraps. After being so impressed and thrilled about the pinless diapers I was really let...

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KayMMIV says "love the fit!!!" about Diaperaps Fitted Hemp Organic Diapers

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:36:20 GMT

I bought 2 of these $10ppd from a mom off diaperswappers that bought these for her lo and they were too big. I agree they run large on sizes as my son who has a very large bottem that is in xl and toddler in most diapers and diaper accessories is on the smallest setting on these. Which makes me happy personally because they will hopefully last the rest of his diapered career.

I really like that they have the snap in soaker that can be removed when washing and drying for a fast dry time then other fitteds.

They do not seem to absorb as much as others, they are very thin and even being hemp, which normally is super absorbant these just don't absorb very much at all. I wonder if this is somethng do do with being used. But normally I hear that hemp gets more absorbant with age, not less, so am not sure.

They are not very soft to the touch, but they are not so rough I think they will bother baby.

Overall I'm really happy with the way these fit my lo. ;-)

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KayMMIV says "comfortable for baby and great price!" about Dappi Contoured Pinless Cloth Diaper

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:32:02 GMT

For my little one these are sized extremely small. the fitteds that are suppose to range from 24lbs and up have been too small on my son since he hit 18 months and 24lbs.

Other then the sizing small I really liked these fitteds, they aren't as absorbant as some other fitteds i've tried, but that can be fixed with a doubler and they fit well other then the sizing being off.

I bought these because of how cheap they were and how much easier then prefolds on the go. These are wonderful. The price being so cheap made me worry about quality but these are great quality and great value. My son really seems to like them and they fit great (not including the sizing being off). I also bought dappi covers that the size large does not hardly fit my son and he is only 24lbs, and they are suppose to go up to 22- 35lbs, these start at 24lbs and up and they fit my son great with room to grow. I would definitly recommned these to anyone!

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KayMMIV says "So much for natural and no harsh chemicals.... " about Method Spiced Pear Hand Wash

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:24:18 GMT

I had heard a lot of raves about method from the those in the green community at large and so when my mother gave me some as a moving gift at first I was stoked.It smells great and worked wonderfully, more proof that natural products are just as good as conventional. Then I was reading the ingredients and realised it was more like only as good as conventional. The ingredient list stated that it had methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone- harsh chemical perservatives (first can cause chemical burns and it is a skin and membrane irritant, second is a neurotoxin). These aren't the only yucky ingredients in this soap. This is a "petro-chemical soup full of ingredients listed as hazardous on the Environmental Working Group website" I think that sums this up quite nicely actually to borrow the words of someone else I've chated with online about these sorts of greenwashing unfotunates.

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KayMMIV says "Smells nice but doesn't make up for including toxic ingredients." about Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:15:47 GMT

This was very watery and just didn't work well although the smell was nice. Also, this product contains borax (sodium borate) natural or not a toxin is a toxin and one of the reasons i use natural products is to get away from the toxic chemicals in conventional products, so using this product is counter productive to me.

Borax is natural, but that does not mean it is automatically safer for you or for 'the environment' than man-made chemicals. Although plants need boron, too much of it will kill them, so borax can be used as an herbicide. Borax may also be used to kill roaches, ants, and fleas. In fact, it is also toxic to people. Signs of chronic toxic exposure include red and peeling skin, seizures, and kidney failure. The estimated lethal dose (ingested) for adults is 15-20 grams; less than 5 grams can kill a child or pet. For this reason, borax should not be used around food. More commonly, borax is associated with skin, eye, or respiratory irritation. It is also important to point...

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KayMMIV says "Good deal, too bad it's not really organic " about Horizon Organic Whole Milk

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:05:51 GMT

I picked these up because they were on half off sale at a local grocery store which made them cheaper then even conventional milk so it seemed like a wonderful deal for organic milk. They taste fine, but from doing some research I was disappointed to find that Horizon has been caught time and again trying to pull the wool over our eyes about the fact that they are not really organic. that the feed to the cows is conventional (after the feed they used to initially get their organic stamp they switched back) that the cows that are labels 'organic' milk cows are processed in the same plants as their counterparts under the same conditions. this made me very sad to see a manufacturer obviously not care about being organic, just using it to make a buck. I believe something is currently underway that will either hopefully loose the organic stamp for horizon, or get them to truly be, and stay organic.

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KayMMIV says "great organic snack for a great price" about Earth's Best Organic Crunchin' Grahams - Honey Sticks

KayMMIV — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:58:09 GMT

I think these are truly a really great healthy, organic, kid and baby friendly product from a wonderful company and associations. I love the ingredeints and that they are so healthy, natural and organic. Plus my son really adores them and will eat as many as we let him. We have to be careful or he'll go through a whole box on us if we let him do so. I also love th price of them, they are also reletively cheap for organic snacks (much cheaper then any other option for the most part, plus you an normally get coupons for them too to make them even cheaper). I've seen them range from $1.77-$2.35 depending on the store and where you are. Tristian gets so excited when he sees the box of these, as you can see in the pictures :) They are a little harder then som crackers but my son has never seemed to mind this fact. This is a great kid/baby/todder friendly product and definitly this mother approves :)

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