Northern Essence Wool Wash Review and Giveaway!

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

One of the things I love most about wool is that it only needs to be laundered around once a month. Sure, the process is a bit more tedious then simply throwing clothes into the washer but the benefits of wool (especially for cloth diapering) far out way the inconvenience.

When you cloth diaper with wool you need to lanolize your wool after washing to add a waterproof barrier. Northern Essence wool wash eliminates the extra process of lanolization as their wool wash contains lanolin! This is my favorite part about Northern Essence wool wash. I hate hand washing clothes, so anything that makes the process quicker makes me very happy.


Northern Essence wool wash comes in over 100 wonderful fragrances!!!! You can choose from fragrances such as blueberry crumble, coconut mango, cool water, monkey farts (yes, you read that right) and tropical vacation. See the full list of fragrances here. Their wool wash is made of 100% natural vegetable glycerin soap blended with 100% natural liquid lanolin and pure organic oils. There is no detergents in this wash making it superior for washing your wool, after all wool is hair! You wouldn't wash your own hair with laundry detergent would you?

Northern Essence also carries solid & liquid lanolin if you prefer to do the two step process, wool wash bars (this works the same as the liquid wool wash but will last 4 times as long), and lanolin mister which is a spray to touch up your wool between washings.

My Experience:

I was given the opportunity to review the liquid wool wash in cherry almond scent (smells wonderful), wool wash bar (sandalwood scent) and lanolin mister. I am pleased at how simple washing my son's wool longies were with using Northern Essence products.

I first washed a couple longies with the liquid . All I had to do is fill my bathroom sink with warm water, add 2 teaspoons of wool wash, swish it all around and then add the longies.

I gently squeezed the wool to ensure they were fully saturated.

I then let the longies soak for 30 minutes.

Lastly, I gently squeezed the water out of the longies and pressed
between two towels to be sure most of the water was out.

I then laid my wool longies and diaper cover flat on top of my ironing board to dry (you can also line dry or lay flat outdoors. It happened to be rainy when I washed my wool.) That is all you do!

I found with using the wool wash soap you may want to do a cool water rinse at the end, as your covers may have gotten a bit more soap in them.

The lanolin mister is nice and something you will want on hand especially if you have a heavy wetter and find that your wool longies/covers are starting to leak at night. Leakage doesn't mean the covers need washed necessarily, but may be losing their lanolin. This spray goes on nice and evenly giving just the right amount of lanolin for extra protection. My son's longies felt nice and soft after using the spray.

I had a great experience working with Northern Essence on this review. Their customer service was great. My products were shipped out quickly and were well packaged. I look forward t o trying more of their wonderful products and trying more of their many fragrances. I love supporting WAHM and family run companies, so Northern Essence has definitely won me over!

About The Company:

Northern Essence is a WAHM based business owned by Traci Hoffman. Traci has 5 children and resides in Georgia. Northern Essence is committed to quality, ethical sourcing, natural ingredients, with no animal testing. Their products are simply packaged to save the consumer extra cost. They believe that what matters most is the quality of the ingredients and final product.

Northern Essence sells products for everyone in the family...

• For Baby: diaper creams, baby wash and oil, diaper care products, etc.
• For Kids: antibacterial foam soap, boo boo balm, bubble bath, hair detangler and more!
  
• For Mom: cloth nursing and menstrual pads, mom2be products, lip glosses, and products to keep her home naturally clean.
• For Dad: Fragrant body sprays, lip balms, soap, shaving sets and creams. You will have fun shopping at Northern Essence!

You will have fun shopping at Northern Essence!

BUY IT- Shop Northern Essence for all your wool laundering needs and more! Click here to shop. Don't forget to take a look at their specials for deep discounts on great products for your family.

WIN IT- Northern Essence is giving one Happily Domestic reader a Wool Try Me Pack which includes a Northern Essence Wool Wash Bar, 2 oz bottle of Liquid Wool Wash and a 1/2 oz tub of Solid Lanolin.



Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry:

Visit Northern Essence and tell me what other products they sell that you would like to try. *Remember to leave your email address in your comment! You MUST do this to win.*

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. *

*Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your email address. Comments without email address given will be automatically disqualified!*

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts as 2 entries, leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I follow you blog publicly #1" and "I follow your blog publicly #2".
• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries! Leave separate comments saying that you do this.
• Blog about THIS giveaway between April 30th and May 8th and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your NE giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your NE giveaway@ #2".
  
• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.
• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.
  
• Vote for me at TOP 100 MOMMY BLOGGERS, link button is found at my top left sidebar. Leave a comment saying that you voted for me. This only counts for new votes.
  
• Sign up for Northern Essence email newsletter. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
  

Giveaway ends Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*This giveaway is open to USA only. Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Thank you to Northern Essence who provided me with the products for review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.
*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Win a Bounce House from Playhouse Bouncers!

Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House is having an awesome giveaway for a Bounce House from Playhouse Bouncers. This is a $499 value prize!! I have my fingers crossed that I win this but also wanted to share about this with my readers. This giveaway ends May 3rd so hurry on over and enter.

Baby J's 5 Month Portraits (you cloth diaper mama's are gonna love this!)

Yesterday I took baby J to Sears for his 5 month portraits. Normally I try to do a 4 month picture, but I procrastinated. At any rate...they turned out ADORABLE!!! I just love them. These are the low resolution ones from their online re-order section, but I wanted to share them with you all. I added a watermark to each as well (don't want anyone stealing my cutie!).

I bought the coupon package with this pose.
I was wanting one with him holding his toes since this is his big milestone at the moment.

I love this one! I am going to have to order some. :-)

She wanted to get a sitting one, but he cannot sit up yet.
This is why my hand is in the picture.

Don't you just love the tye dye diaper? I won it a couple months ago.
It is a Little Boppers OS fitted.

Look at all the chunks!!

I am so blessed...I get to wake up to this sweet face each morning.

Our Gerber Baby!

What a face...melts my ♥

Which one is your favorite? I would like to hear what you all think.

Wordless Wednesday- The Pout

Toddler Tuesday- Little guys can help too!

It's no wonder that my 2 year old son's name means "helper"...he loves to help out around the house. His favorite thing to help with is putting the wet clothes from the washer into the clothes dryer. He loves to put shoes away and recently discovered that he can throw trash in the trash can (amongst other things). Today he helped his big brother unload the dish washer. He is definitely living up to his name!

(In case you are wondering why he has a penguin hanging out of his pants...
blame his brother for that one! lol.)

For more Toddler Tuesday visit Minnesota Mama Must Haves Blog! Click here.

sustainablebabyish ♥ Wool Knit Longies and Organic Bamboo Fleece Fitted Review & Giveaway!

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

As many of you know, I am becoming a big fan of cloth diapering with wool. I love the breathability it offers as well as the multi-function of being a diaper cover and pants. You may think that wool will cause your baby to become over heated, but with wool it is actually the opposite. Wool captures and circulates air to insulate your baby when the temperature falls, and releases excess body heat and moisture as temperatures rise, to create the perfect micro-climate around their body. This makes cloth diapering with wool a year round possibility. Wool also can absorb up to 35% of it's own weight making it perfect for cloth diapering, especially at night.

Sustainablebabyish wool knit longies are made from 93% wool | 7% lycra with öko-tex certified wool yarns. They are double-layer knit, breathable, soft, and comfortable. Pair with sustainablebabyish fitteds, flats, and snapless-multi diapers for day & night cloth diapering. Can be used on babies from newborn to toddler with 4 sizes to choose from.

About Sloomb (from their site):

we love what we do. we care about what goes into our products. we care about what we leave behind for our kids. sustainablebabyish|sloomb♥tm was born out of the need for a better fit, a softer hand, & the desire to bring earth-friendly baby products in great colors to your home. we are committed to offering you a low impact, durable product for you & your children to love and enjoy. the life cycle of our products is important - most of our products are made by hand in the USA, by women who are paid fair wages and who care about what they make. most of our fabric is organic or an organic blend. we use low impact dyes. we recycle our fabric and donate seconds to communities in need. we have a paperless office - you will not receive paper receipts and extra packaging. your items will arrive safely and securely in 100% recycled mailers, no plastic. we expect our products to be given to another when your little ones outgrow them - they are made to last that long. you have a choice - there is a difference. together we are moving forward to bring about positive change, without leaving too much behind. sustainablebabyish|sloomb♥tm continues to look towards new, sustainable textiles and processes for hip and ethical solutions to diapering and clothing children, while leading the growing and diverse market in style and concept innovation.

Our Experience:

We were sent an organic bamboo fleece fitted cloth diaper (natural/squash color) and a pair of wool knit longies (sprout color) for review. What an adorable combination! This diaper is super soft and durable. I love the bright orange snaps and coordinating stitching. With a snap in soaker and 3-layer bamboo fleece doubler, there is no chance of leaks. Our diaper is a size medium and fit both my 5 month old and 2 year old wonderfully.

The wool knit longies have a wide stretchy waistband that fits comfortably on my toddler. I was impressed that the longies stayed in place despite my son's skinny waist. He seems so comfy in these and has been wearing them for both day and night. As with the wool I have experienced in the past, these longies stay dry to the touch even after a very wet diaper. This is the beauty of wool.

Another cool thing I have to mention is the tag that came with the wool longies is made of plantable, wildflower, recycled stock. You can actually plant the tag in potting soil or your garden and grow flowers! Isn't that clever?

Hands down I am thoroughly impressed by sustainablebabyish's cloth diapering products. They are well made, function beautifully, stylish, and brought to you by a company that really cares about our environment. What more can you ask for?

BUY IT-
You can buy sustainablebabyish cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories, and their knit wool longies & soakers from their website at Sloomb.com. Use coupon code "HappilyDomestic" for 10% off your entire order from now until May 18th. You can also shop at one of their many retailers. Click here to find a store near you!


With each sustainablebabyish cloth diaper/cover purchase you make a tree is planted in Southeast Asia. This is because sustainablebabyish has partnered with Trees for the Future to offset the carbon generated in the production and care of each of their organic cloth diapers.


WIN IT- sustainablebabyish ♥ is giving one very lucky Happily Domestic reader a pair of wool knit longies in their choice of color AND organic bamboo fleece fitted cloth diaper!! $87.00 Value

Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry:

Visit Sloomb.com tell me which other products they sell that you would like to try. *Remember to leave your email address in your comment! You MUST do this to win.*

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. *

*Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your email address. Comments without email address given will be automatically disqualified!*

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts as 2 entries, leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I follow you blog publicly #1" and "I follow your blog publicly #2".
• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries! Leave separate comments saying that you do this.
• Blog about THIS giveaway between April 27th and May 14th and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your Sloomb giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your Sloomb giveaway@ #2".
  
• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.
• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.
  
• Vote for me at TOP 100 MOMMY BLOGGERS, link button is found at my top left sidebar. Leave a comment saying that you voted for me. This only counts for new votes.
  
• Follow Sloomb on Twitter. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did.
• Sign up for Sloomb's email newsletter. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
  

Giveaway ends Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Thank you to Sustainablebabyish who provided me with the products for review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

I've been featured!

Today I have been featured on Kolcraft's Baby Matters Blog! Go here to read my interview. I am excited to be featured on their Mom Monday. Thanks Kolcraft!

Earth Day Smartipants Giveaway Winner!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO WHOC23!!!

Random.Org choose comment #18
for the winner of the one-size Smartipants cloth diaper!

whocg23 was comment #18 and left this comment:

whocg23 said...

I am a total cloth addict and advocate! I tell everyone I can. If I know someone with a kid in diapers, or with one on the way, I make sure to tell them all about cloth diapers and the benefits. I started my blog just to spread the word. I twitter things all about cloth and post stuff on my facebook when I find great things like giveaways that can help people start cloth diapering. :)

April 22, 2010 8:15 AM

* Winner has 48 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be drawn. Please email me @ HappilyDomestic09@yahoo.com.*

Thanks to all who entered my giveaway. I had fun reading everyone's blog posts and comments. Thank you for sharing your experiences and tips with me. I hope that you had fun with this and encourage you to continue to spread the word about cloth diapering and of course...come back and join in on Fluff Talk Thursdays again! The next FTT will be on Thursday May 20th. There will only be one next month as I will be busy with "The Great Boy Event".

By the way- This giveaway was not sponsored by Smartipants or any diaper retailer. This giveaway was a thank you from me for my readers and the giveaway diaper will be personally purchased by myself. :-)

Fluff Talk Thursday #18- Earth Day Edition and A Giveaway!!

Earth Day was created in 1970 as a global day of observance of the need to protect the earth. What better way to protect our earth then to use cloth diapers!

Disposable diapers have been around a long time. The very first disposable diaper was invented in Sweden in 1942. Did you know that it can take 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose? This means any disposable diapers my parents used on me are still lying around in some landfill. Pretty gross, huh? This also means that very first diaper invented in Sweden in 1942 is also probably still lying around somewhere.


It is estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year. And this is only the US! Do the math...that is 231.2 million TONS of diapers since disposable diapers began.

Don't get me wrong, disposable diapers have their place. It use to be that disposable diapers were considered a "luxury" item. Parents only used these diapers for travel, camping, etc. Although there has been an increase in cloth diaper awareness, most parents still prefer to use disposables. This is the sad reality.

Have you made the switch yet? Here are some things to consider:

• Cloth diapering your child will save you over a thousand dollars by the time your child turns two.
• Cloth diapers are now as easy to use as disposables and a LOT more cute!
• Your child will be more comfortable and experience less rashes.
• Cloth diapers can be saved and passed down to multiple children, increasing your savings and impact on our environment.
• When you are finished diapering your children, your cloth diapers can be given to charitable organizations such as The Cloth Diaper Foundation who help low income families diaper their babies. They can be sold at Diaper Swappers, making your diapering cost in the end minimal. If they are too ratty, you can use them as dust rags! Can you do any of these things with your disposable diapers?
• Most importantly- You will be leaving a better world for your children...and their children..and their children. You get the picture!
  

In celebration of Earth Day and as a special thanks to all my wonderful readers who have been so supportive of my choice to cloth diaper my babies, I will be holding a one day giveaway contest! Winner will receive one Smartipants one-size pocket diaper. These diapers are great and one of my top 3 favorites. Winner will have choice of color. Choices are: Aqua Breeze (This is the color my son has on in the picture above), Bright White, Clever Clover, Cool Blue, Lovely Lavender, Mellow Yellow, or Think Pink.

There is 3 ways to enter:
(Yes, you can do all three)

• Leave a comment on this post telling me your best tip for protecting our planet.
• Tell me how you spread the word about cloth diapers. What reaction do you normally get from people?
• Post about this topic today on your blog. Don't forget to use my Fluff Talk Thursdays Banner (code can be found on my right hand side bar). Remember to link up! (leave a comment saying you did this)
  

Giveaway will end tonight at 11:59 P.M. (MST). This giveaway is open only to USA residents and you must be 18 to win. Winner will be chosen with the random number generator at Random.org. I will announce the winner Friday, April 23rd on this blog. Please come back to see if you won. You will need to email me at HappilyDomestic09@yahoo.com to claim your prize.


To see the last Fluff Talk Thursday Post click here.
Instructions for Fluff Talk Thursdays, click here.

*Earth Day Giveaway Has Ended*

Wordless Wednesday- My Little Artist

My daughter and her Twinn doll Elizabeth creating a masterpiece!

She purchased this doll sized art set with real paints
from My Twinn with her birthday money.
Look at the doll...she is even wearing a paint smock!

The Apple Tree

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Toddler Play- First Coloring

Mr. E, my now 2 year old son has always tried to eat crayons when I have offered them to him to color. A few days ago my 9 year old son drew him a Ninja Turtles color sheet. E was excited to color and didn't even take one bite when given a crayon. This is progress folks!

E enjoyed coloring and even cheered for himself after each stroke. It was darling. Isn't life with a toddler fun?

Coloring fun!

My 9 year old is such a wonderful artist. Look at that Ninja Turtle!

So proud

The Green Mama Benefit Auction: Support The Cloth Diaper Foundation

Remember my Fluff Talk Thursdays Post a few weeks back when I wrote about The Cloth Diaper Foundation and ways we can show our support? Well..here is another great opportunity! Join many others this Thursday (Earth Day) for an awesome silent auction and help families in need at the same time!! Here is the details:

Is your tax refund burning a hole in your pocket? Is your husband looking for Mother’s day presents? Or maybe you just want to support a great organization? If you answered yes to any of these questions check out The Green Mama Benefit Auction. It opens April 22nd on Hyena Cart with all proceeds to benefit The Cloth Diaper Foundation. All items will arrive at your house before Mother’s Day.

The Cloth Diaper Foundation, formally Miracle Diapers, gives needy families cloth diapers and assists them with building their own cloth diaper stashes. They helped over 450 babies last year alone!

Check out some of the items available below, visit the auction, bid on some great products and support an amazing organization. Anything that can combine shopping and supporting a good cause can only make you feel good.

Here are just some of the great items available:
2 customized Change is Strange books from Change is Strange
The Premier of Goodmama’s new Wet Bag. Only available here!
3 OOAK Wahmies Diaper Pail Liners from Wahmies
An Organic Baby Basket collaboration from Cheeky Diapers, Harmony Art Fabrics, Get Hooked, and O-Wool
Exclusive Pomegranate scented Rockin Green Detergent
An Aspen Boba Baby Carrier from Eco-politan
An Earth Mama Angel Baby Set from Earth Mama Angel Baby
A small Dancing in Dublin Sojourn Sling with a matching Organic Stroller Blanket and a medium Morning in Machu Picchu Sojourn Sling with a matching Organic Stroller Blanket from Petunia Pickle Bottom
An Eastern Sun Messenger Bag, a Peace Satchel and a Blue Courier Bag from Dad Gear.
2 Huge sets of Fat “Quarters” from Harmony Art
A Zoe Saldana's Eternal Magic Gift Set by Avon brought to you by Lisa Johnson
A Dark Green Sleepy Wrap, a Cedar BOBA G2 and a Sleepy Bear from Nap Inc
A Little Lamb Baby Basket from Natures Boundaries
A Minui Handysitt from The Giggling Green Bean
Gift Certificates from Casttoo
A bumGenius Organic Diaper and a Wahmies Wetbag from BananaPeels Diapers.
A new Earth Carrier from Belle Baby Carriers
A 12 pack of Rumparooz Colors with 6R inserts from Kangacare
A White Organic Bella band from Bella Band
A Medium Winky Dinks Wool Soaker from Winky Dinks
2 Mr Handsome’s buttons from Mr Handsome’s Crazy Diaper Emporium
A Scentsy plug-in scent warmer and your choice of 3 scents from Susie Goodness
2 $25 gift certificates for Mary Kay from Jennifer McCullar
A 3-pack of Econobums from Mommy and Baby Essentials
Fluff Dust and a Fuzzibunz Zippered Diaper Tote from Sugar Dipes
An Incredibella Pocket from Bella Bottoms
A Goodmama One-Size Fitted Serged Diaper from Diaper Shops
A Basket of Hairbows from Plain and Fancy Bowtique
A Floral Slip Dress from Zoonique Baby
A Bamboo French Terry Fitted Diaper from Wee Ones
A Custom Wool Shortie from CatChick6 Creations
Thanks for your support—more items are being added daily!

How to grow your own alfalfa sprouts

Almost a year ago I read an article in "Keepers At Home" magazine about sprouting. I was very excited to try it and bought a sprouting jar and some alfalfa seeds. Well, for some reason the jar and seeds got set aside and forgotten. A couple weeks ago I pulled them out and decided it was time to give it a try (I hate when I procrastinate like that).

Sprouting is so simple! It says on the instructions that even a 6 year old can do it. Yes, so what was my excuse? Haha.

All you need is a one quart or half gallon sprouting jar. You can find these inexpensively at a local health food store. You could even use a regular jar and some cheese cloth for a lid as well. You will also want to make sure you have high quality sprouting seeds. I purchased Handy Pantry brand certified organic alfalfa seeds. Seeds that are not good quality will produce poorly.

What to do:

For a half gallon jar (like I used) place two tablespoons seed in sprouting jar with three times as much water as seeds. Soak overnight.

Soaking the seeds (step1)

Drain water from jar (drain through lid or cheese cloth, there is no need to remove seeds to drain). Rinse seeds in fresh lukewarm water and drain again.

I have been storing my alfalfa sprouts under my kitchen sink on a towel.

Lay your jar at an angle in warm (70 degrees F.) dark place. Rinse and drain your seeds twice a day for 4-5 days. On the last day of sprouting, place your alfalfa sprouts in indirect sunlight to develop chlorophyll. The tiny leaves will turn green in a few hours.

The finished product

The final step is to remove the alfalfa sprouts from the jar and rinse well in a bowl. The sprout hulls will float to the top of the water (skim off). Remove sprouts from water and shake out excess water. Store in refrigerator.

I stored my sprouts in a bread bag and added
a folded paper towel to soak up excess moisture.

Sprouts will keep for about a week or longer, but you will most likely munch them down the first day you try them! I am finding that the one jar is not enough for our family size. I will be looking to switch to a tray method which provides a much larger amount.

We enjoyed our alfalfa sprouts in homemade pita bread with chicken salad. Yum!

Growing your own sprouts can be a very economical way to add some extra nutrition into your families diet. There are many varieties of sprouts to choose from and all sorts of ways to use them. It can also make an excellent science project for the kids. Happy Sprouting!

Thank You Family Circus!

All you stay at home moms are going to appreciate this!!! Family Circus printed this a couple weeks ago in the Sunday Comics. It's about time someone caught on to this! Thank you Family Circus. :-)

By the way- I love how they captured the man's unimpressed expression. And look at the mom's face! I love it. I know exactly how she feels, I have been there before. ( Her children are also in the same birth order as mine...too funny!)

*Click to enlarge*

The Great Boy Event Sponsors Sneak Peak

I know you are all curious as to who will be sponsoring the Great Boy Event...here is a sneak peak! I have a few more to add (I am waiting for logos). I will update this page as I finalize this event. You will also find the sponsor list on my left hand side bar.

I hope that you are getting excited. Don't forget to earn those extra entries as well! See instructions here.