I heart Fuzzi Bunz

I think by now, you all know that Buttercup's fluffy butt is a direct result of the fact that I fell in love with cloth diapering when she was about 4 months old.

Thanks to my former magazine product review gig, I was lucky enough to get to try Fuzzi Bunz diapers, and eventually got a few samples of the new and improved design.

And yes, I heart them, too.

Before I go on, let me be the first to say that I HATED cloth diapering when I had to help change my lil' sisters' diapers. And thanks to many nasty, smelly, grossed-out memories of pins, poked fingers, wiggling babies, and soaking poopy diapers in the toilet while holding my breath, I was pretty sure I was never EVER going to use anything other than disposables on my own children.

But that was before I had my own. Because then things changed.

I suddenly found myself wanting to set a good example and all that Hallmark-gooey goodness that comes with becoming a mother. So when Fuzzi Bunz showed up on my doorstep and I suddenly started realizing the benefits to the environment AND to my bank account, I was pretty much hooked.

Here's the deal: In cloth diapering circles, you'll learn that Fuzzi Bunz are referred to as "pocket diapers" due to the waterproof outer layer with the pocket-style opening which allows for you to customize the absorbancy level by insterting one or more microfleece inserts.

In a nutshell, they are easy to use thanks to the adjustable snaps (did I mention "no pins?"!), beyond cute with tons of colors and prints to choose from, and actually help reduce (if not eliminate) diaper rashes!

After my traumatized teen years spent trying to wrestle a squirming baby into an antiquated prefold without sticking a pin in her tummy, this was seriously a walk in the park.

I use Fuzzi Bunz on Buttercup all day at home, and eventually got brave enough to venture out of my home with a bunch in tow for changes when out and about. I do, however, keep a few disposables on hand for the occassional diaper rash, as creams are not recommended for use with the Fuzzis.

Another point I'd like to bring up for parents of super heavy night wetters is that I have stuffed these diapers with three inserts at bed time and still had soak-throughs. But then again, my little water-horse can pee through a trusty disposable in the first half of the night alone...so don't take that as a sign that the Fuzzi Bunz aren't worth their weight in gold. I've spoken with plenty of cloth-diapering friends, and can confirm that their babies stay happy and dry with nothing but Fuzzi Bunz in the home.

You can get a starter kit of 12 diapers from Fuzzi Bunz direct for $227.40, which might sting a bit up front, but will save you gobs of money in the long run. Individual diapers are available for $19.95, with price drops available if you purchase a three-pack. And if you re-use the diapers for more than one child as I plan to, the diapers pretty much pay for themselves.

If there is one item I have ever reviewed that I will talk up so much that I drive even myself crazy, it's my Fuzzi Bunz. And coming from me, I'd say that's a pretty kickin' testimonial.

Fuzzi Bunz is generously offering one lucky reader a $40 gift certificate to Fuzzi Bunz Direct! That's enough to get you started (or help you add) to your collection! To enter, visit the site and leave me a berrie (read: comment) telling me what designs or colors are your favrotite AND tell me if you already cloth diaper or if you are interested in trying it out.

Extra entries are also available if you:
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about the contest and link to the giveaway.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my button and place it on your sidebar, linking to Berrie Sweet Picks. (I'll check!)
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! Oh, and sorry, but U.S. and Canadian addressed only on this one!

I'll pick one name at midnight (EST) on Sept. 24 and post their name to PRIZEYWinners and on my sidebar. The winner has four days from the announcement date to contact me, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Good luck and happy cloth diapering!

Get rowdy with your diaper bag

As a former newsroom journalist, I about fell over myself with excitement when I saw this newsboy-inspired diaper bag. Finally, a bag that my husband would be willing to carry himself!

I’m a self-professed diaper bag-a-holic. And if I were to seek treatment, I’m sure I would be told that the only way to cure myself would be to… well, stop getting more of them.

But that would just be too easy, wouldn't it?

One of my favorites is The Scoop News Bag by Rowdy Products.

This is a H-U-G-E (and super cool) bag perfect for overnights or for moms (and dads) of multiples in need of portable storage. Not only is the bag perfect for the laid-back jeans and T-shirt set, it’s wonderfully uni-sexed, goes with everything, and is large enough to carry most of the belongings in your house along with you on any given day.

Now, I'll admit that the fact that this bag is large enough to transport a small child actually turned me off...at first. When I first started using it, I was not yet cloth-diapering full-time, and the fact that disposables left enough room in the bag for "just one more thing" made it way too easy for me to over-fill, resulting in a trip to the mall with a bag packed full enough to look like I was on a week-long vacation with Buttercup. So I put the bag away.

But when I changed over from disposables to cloth on my outings and wondered why no one made a bag big enough to accomodate a cloth-diapered baby, a little light-bulb went off in my head and I remembered the Scoop News bag I had squirreled away. And viola! I was back in business.

My only complaint is the fact that the included changing pad is pretty much a joke, and not really usable at all when trying to protect against germs on public changing tables, but that is easily remedied by replacing it with a larger one I picked up at Babies R US for cheap.

Bonuses include the snazzy little attachable purse/wallet, which is big enough for a check book and a few other essentials, and, of course, the the cell phone pocket, insulated bottle holder, and the included water-resistant changing pad. And when you add the fact that The Scoop News Bag will long outlive your diaper-bagging days since it by no means screams I HAVE A BABY!!!, and well, it’s certainly worth every penny of the $69.99 they retail for.