Good Earth Review and GIVEAWAY

I had the opportunity to try out a new product that recently hit grocery stores shelves, Good Earth dry dinner kits.  This opportunity was provided by was provided by Good Earth and MyBlogSpark.  I was given one Mediterranean Chicken dinner kit, two sets of bamboo flatware, two bamboo dishes, a bamboo utility board and a 100% recyclable grocery tote to test. 

Information about Good Earth dry dinner kits from Good Earth and MyBlogSpark:
With appetizing entrées from Good Earth, dining in is sure to become the new dining out. Enjoy cooking a sophisticated, restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of your own home. Each variety includes vibrant and flavorful sauces along with specialty ingredients like sweet basil, white wine and dried tomatoes. Delicious dinners that allow you to keep a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing taste, Good Earth dry dinner kits are perfect for whipping up a no-fail, five-star cuisine in less than 30 minutes.
100% whole grain, no trans fat, no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, no MSG - just add meat and, voila! Dinner is served.
Coming to stores this June, Good Earth dry dinner kits offer a selection of four delectable meals: Mediterranean Chicken with angel hair pasta, Spicy Citrus Glazed Shrimp with angel hair pasta, Herb Crusted Chicken with mushroom risotto and Tuscan Chicken with penne pasta. 



My Review:
I should first disclose that my husband actually prepared the food, so I'm working with him to write this review.  

We thought this was delicious and super easy to prepare.  In total, it only took about 30 minutes to prepare the meal.  There are only a few simple steps which include: breading and cooking the chicken, adding the sauce mix, boiling the noodles, waiting for the sauce to set, then serve.  We decided to add artichoke hearts to our sauce mixture to add a little bit of a kick.  

I think the most telling part of this review is that I would purchase this mix AND I would PREPARE IT MYSELF.  (My husband does most of the cooking at our house).  Basically, I'm saying that even I can handle this one!  

There were a few things that I think made this dinner kit stand out:

• Flavor-not too overpowering like some dinner kits or frozen meal kits.  I particularly enjoyed the sun-dried tomatoes!
• Breading-didn't get soggy as breaded chicken sometimes does in a sauce.
• It even tasted good as leftovers!

Here is a picture of the final product:

WE VOTE: DELICIOUS!  WOULD PURCHASE!
We were also given two sets of bamboo flatware, two bamboo dishes, and a bamboo utility board to test.  

 I was actually surprised that the bamboo flatware is just like silverware-I'm not sure why I thought it would be different-but it seems like an excellent alternative to plastic flatware.  The plates that we received were honestly too small to use as a dinner plate, so I haven't used them yet.  The bamboo cutting board gets my seal of approval as well.  They were easy to clean too, just wash with soap and water. 

You have the chance to win a similar gift pack!  YAY!  To enter, please comment which flavor you'd like to try.  One extra entry for becoming/being a follower of my blog.
Please click HERE to see comments and enter.  DEADLINE IS JULY 8th at 12 p.m. Central Time.

Nifty Nappy OS Cloth Diaper Review

Basic Information:
This diaper is made by a WAHM in Utah.  They are available in 47 prints and solids!  Some of them are so super cute, you just can't resist them! It comes with an absorbent insert made of hemp and bamboo velour.  Click HERE to go to the Nifty Nappy website. 

How It Works:
It is a one-size diaper with has waist snaps.  There is no rise adjustment.  However, we have never needed one.  We started using this diaper when she was more than 10 lbs, so I do not know how this dipe would work on a small baby.  

You do need to use a diaper cover with it, because it is not waterproof.  The outer layer is cotton knit, the middle layer is organic hemp fleece and the inside layer is microfleece. You can lay the insert inside the diaper for extra absorbency.  

Price:
It is $22.00.  You can purchase from the Nifty Nappy website or from a limited number of retailers.  The first diaper that I purchased was several dollars cheaper because she did not sell diapers through other retailers at that time.  Unfortunately for customers, her prices went up after the diapers became available in retail stores.  However, I'm glad that business is good for her:)  It's nice to see businesses you like prosper.

Our Experience:
This diaper fits Baby A so well and I have to admit that I was surprised.  I was skeptical about the fit since there are no snaps to adjust the rise, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.  It is also the only snap diaper that I've really liked.  You can actually cross the flaps across the waist!

I really love this diaper for nighttime!  I alternate this diaper at night with another diaper since we only have one.  I usually add a second hemp doubler, just to make sure it doesn't leak.  I use it with a pair of wool longies from Nifty Nappy and it's perfect! 

Since it's hard to get them both washed to use every other night, I decided to buy another one yesterday.  So although, I'm sad the price went up, I still bought one.  Luckily, I found it on sale at one of the retailers and found a code for free shipping!  

Features We Love

• The only set of snaps on the waist that I've found to properly overlap!
• Excellent, sturdy construction
• Super Absorbent
• Adorable fabric selection

The Downside:

• Fabric is fading...I guess all the washing is taking its toll:( 
• Too bad the prints get covered up:(

We Vote:

• Go-To Nighttime Dipe
• Mom's Fav

Overall Rating: 10
Pictures in Use:

 

Baby In A Fishbowl Ring Sling Review AND GIVEAWAY

Baby In A Fishbowl Ring Sling Review

Basic Information About The Sling:
This slings come from a great Etsy Shop, Baby in a Fishbowl.  There are a lot of fabric options available and she can make custom orders too.  The particular sling that I purchased is made of Duponi Silk in Summer Sun color and the ring color varies by sling.  The width is about 26" and the length is 85". 

This information about ring slings is from her Etsy Shop site:
Ring sling are great for multiple wearers. They go where your stroller cannot. The open style tail gives you great coverage for nursing privacy, especially for first time moms who are still getting the nack of it. Tuck the tail away when not needed or you can use it for a changing pad, blanket, wiping up spit-up.

Care of sling:  Wash alone Gentle cycle, cold, or hand wash.  Hang dry is recommended.

How it works:
Pretty simple:  put the sling on, put the baby in the pocket, and tighten the sling by pulling fabric through the rings.  It honestly seems more intimidating more than it really is.  The best way to figure out to put it on is to search YouTube for instructions on the different ways to wear your baby.  There are a bunch of videos that demonstrate different holds.  It took me two or three times to get to the point where I could get her in/out quickly.

Price:
The regular price for this sling is $48.  However, I got mine on sale.  If you become a Facebook fan of Baby in a Fishbowl, she posts sales and specials there, so you can keep a lookout for deals.  She also has giveaways pretty often on Facebook, so you may win a great item from her shop.

My Experience:
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this sling.  I have another ring sling that I bought at a garage sale and while I liked it, I never felt 100% comfortable that she was secure.  I have NEVER felt like that when I have used this sling! 

I noticed the difference between the slings immediately and I put my other sling away (I think for good).  Anyway, I love the fabric, I love the rings, and I love the cute detailed stitching.  I think that the silk is really easy to adjust. One cool thing that I like about the fabric is the color, it seems to change color depending on the light and I think that it is really beautiful.

I use this ring sling when I go to the store and we both like it.  The baby hates sitting in the car seat so she’s glad to be out and about.  I think using a ring sling is much more convenient than lugging a car seat or stroller anywhere. I’ve started keeping it in the car, so that I always have it available when I’m out.  In fact, I just got back from CostCo where I wore her the whole time!  I seriously use this sling almost every day!

Features We Love:

• Sturdy construction 
• Cute detailed stitching  (see picture below)
• SO EASY AND CONVENIENT

The Downside:

• Wearing her for long periods of time does make my shoulder get a little sore.

We Vote:

• Excellent Value 
• Easy to Use 
• Convenient for Everyday Use 
• Love it, Love it, Love it

Overall Rating (out of 10):  10
 
HERE IS THE COOL PART!  BABY IN A FISHBOWL is generously giving away $25 towards any item in her shop!  
Leave a comment for each entry.  CLICK HERE TO GO TO COMMENTS.

This is a mandatory entry:
Visit her shop and tell me what you would purchase with the $25.
Extra Entries:
1.  Follow this blog 
2.  Become a Facebook Fan of Baby in a Fishbowl HERE 
3.  Become a Facebook Fan of Adventures of the Mom Kind HERE 
4.  Announce this giveaway on a blog, forum, or Facebook and leave the url in the comment

This giveaway will end at 7pm on May 3rd.  Please leave your email or a way to contact you.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. 

Kissaluvs Kissa’s Fitted Diaper Size 0 Review

Kissaluvs Kissa’s Fitted Diaper Size 0 Review

Basic Information:
This link is to the Version 2.0 of this diaper.  This is a fitted diaper (which means that it is not meant to fit all size babies).  It will fit most babies from 5 to 15 lbs.  This is made of cotton and the soaker is incorporated into the diaper, so there is no stuffing required.  However, a diaper cover is required.  It comes in unbleached or 5 colors. 

How it works:
This is a super easy diaper to use! The waist circumference adjusts with snaps. It has elasticized legs. You are able to snap down the waist to accomodate a newborn's umbilicus.  After you snap on baby, put on a cover and you're ready to go!

Price:
$12.95 for unbleached/$13.95 for colors.

Our Experience:
We have used this diaper since the newborn days and I really love it! The experience with this diaper is a great example of how I am becoming a much smarter cloth diaper user! This diaper has far exceeded my expectations, totally making it a great value in my mind.

First, Baby A did not grow out of it in as short a period of time as I expected. In fact, it still fits and she is 22 weeks old! I really only expected it to use it for about 3 months.

Second, you don’t need nearly as many covers as I thought you would using this fitted diaper. I purchased these when I was pregnant and really believed that I’d need covers in about a 1:2 ratio to diapers. No way! (at least not with this diaper, maybe another kind of diaper we have…but that’s another story!) No mess has ever leaked out of legs. That means no leaks all over clothes and no reason for multiple outfit changes, unless your baby is a fashionista.

Finally, if I were pregnant all over again I would buy more of these. We only bought two, because we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on diapers that we couldn’t use for a long time. We opted to buy mainly all-in-one diapers, but on a small baby, those diapers are really bulky. The great thing about these diapers is that they aren’t bulky. We’ve found that bulky bottoms make babies “grow out” of clothes quicker. If I’d had more of these, I could get have gotten more use out of baby clothes. Basically, my point is that these diapers were a much better value than I thought they would be and I wish that I would have purchased more of them.

Features We Love:

• Snap down waist to accommodate umbilicus
• Easy for the babysitter

The Downside:

• Not dry to the touch once it’s wet.
• The entire diaper gets soaked if you leave it on for a long period of time. I would not use this diaper if you will not be able to change a diaper for an extended period of time (like a long car ride).

We Vote:

• Excellent diaper for newborn
• Good price
• Convenient
• Good Value
• Easy to Use
• This diaper will make you fall in love with cloth diapering!

Overall Rating (out of 10): 10

Pictures in Use:  (she was about 13 lbs in this photo)

BabyHawk Baby Carrier Review

Baby Hawk Review

Basic Information:
This is a Mei Tai baby carrier. BabyHawk allows you to select your own fabric options on their website and they will custom build it for you. There are tons of fabric options and 17 options for strap color. They now have a new product that snaps and is more like a structured baby carrier.  The one I am reviewing is the Regular BabyHawk.

How it works:
The best way to describe how to use it is to look at the instruction photos. I assure you, the photo arrays look much more complicated to put on than it really is! It takes me less than thirty seconds to put on and get baby all situated! Basically, you tie the bottom strap around your waist.  You hold baby up against your chest, pull the body of the carrier up behind baby's back.  Then, throw the shoulder straps over your shoulders.  The straps cross each other on your back and tie in the front across your baby’s lower back. I only needed assistance the very first time I used it.

Price:
$80 for the basic model.
You can add some extra features for an additional cost of usually $5 or $10. Extra features include: a toy ring, minky backing, longer straps, added body size, and pockets.


My Experience:
I love, love, love this thing. (Thanks to Craig and Michelle for buying it for me!) I started using it when my daughter was about 5 weeks old.  Using it helps me get things done around the house because I can use my arms! I use it when I go places so I don’t have to carry a car seat. It’s easier to bring out than a wrap carrier because it’s not one long piece of fabric that can drag on the ground while putting it on. I’ve only used the Newborn Front Carry position so far, but my daughter is getting big enough that I’ll soon need to stick her feet out the side. I haven't been brave enough for the back carry yet, but I look forward to trying it in the future!

Features I Love:

• No adjustment necessary. You can easily share this between two people (or more). Since it is tied, there are no snaps or buckles to move.
• Secure. Baby is safe and secure inside.
• Cute. Yup, I’m going there…I think it’s super cute.

The Downside:

• Intimidation. I think that the intimidation factor keeps people away.
• Price. It is certainly not cheap, but in my opinion, it is definitely worth the cost.
• Practice Required. It takes a few times getting baby in and out to really be able to do it quickly. It also takes a little bit of practice to use on the go. I had to perfect my technique to get baby in and out without dropping straps on the parking lot and quickly enough that we didn’t get too cold in the process.

I Vote:

• Convenient
• Easy to Use
• Cute Fabrics
• Good Quality
• Love it, Love it, Love it!

Overall Rating (out of 10): 9.5

Pictures

Pictures from top to bottom: First time using it (about 5 weeks old); Using it at family Christmas (about 8 weeks old); 18 weeks old

Organic Bum Genius AIO Review

Basic Information:

This diaper is made by Cottonbabies, Inc.  The absorbent pads are made of layered organic cotton. The soakers are sewn right into the diaper, so no stuffing is required. In order to minimize drying time, there are two separate absorbent pads (see picture). The diaper is designed to fit most babies between 7 and 35 lbs.

The diapers that we own have Velcro tabs, but the new version of these diapers have snaps. The waist tabs have two snaps and are made to stretch for a nice fit. It is available in 9 colors.

How it works:

There is no stuffing required, so this diaper is very easy to use.  They have an adjustable rise allowing you to make the diaper larger or smaller based on your child’s size. There are three settings, newborn, infant, and toddler, so you just snap the diaper up to make it smaller or leave it unsnapped for the largest setting.

Price:
I purchased for $24.95.

Our Experience:
I purchased this diaper because I thought it would be super easy for a childcare provider. I really like this diaper because there is no work required, it really is as easy as a disposable diaper.

Although it says that it should fit a 7 lb baby, I’m not sure that it really would fit a baby that small. We found that it was just too bulky when she was really small. I did not start using this diaper until she was about 10.5 lbs. This wasn’t a big problem for us, because I wasn’t counting on using this diaper right away. If you’re planning these diapers as your main system, you may want to consider purchasing a few of another type of diaper while baby is in newborn stage.

Features We Love:

• No stuffing!
• Super Absorbent
• Stretchy Waist Tabs
• Made by a St. Louis Company-I’m originally from St. Louis, so I am glad that I can support a hometown company

The Downside:

• Drying Time- I think that they did everything they could to minimize the dry time, but it is still longer than all of our other diapers.
• Bulkiness-gives small babies a large bottom. My daughter is only 15 weeks old, so this will improved as she grows.
• Price
• The velcro tabs are fraying a little on the edge.  Since we haven't been using them for very long, I'm a little concerned about those. (see the picture).  I think that the new snap waist is likely an improvement on the design.

We Vote:

• Super Absorbent
• Easy to Use
• Convenient for Travel
• Great for Babysitter

Overall Rating (out of 10): 9

PlanetWise Wet/Dry Hanging Bag

PlanetWise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag Review
Basic Information:
This 16.5 inch x 27 inch wetbag has a main pocket for wet/dirty items that is lined with waterproof layer. The front pocket holds clean/unused items safe. There are two handles for hanging or carrying.
How it works:
Hang it on the door and collect your dirty diapers. Toss bag into wash with diapers! Hang to dry.

Price:
I purchased bag for $29.99.
Our Experience:
We love these bags. I originally only purchased one, but we liked it so much that I bought another. We use one to collect diapers while the other is in the laundry. While we use these for diapers now, I could easily see a number of other things where these bags would serve you well, like swim bags or for holding wet laundry, etc.
In my opinion, these are very well made. We have never had any wicking or leaking issues (and we’ve put a lot of diapers in it before). We wash diapers every other day, so these bags get washed about twice a week and the fabric brightness is holding up very well. I usually hang it by only one handle so I was a little worry about straining the stitching too much, but have not had any indications that they are ripping out.  Look at the picture below, I weighed our bag (and it wasn't full yet!).

We have a front loading machine, so putting diapers in the machine isn’t a simple unzip and dump. I usually open the bag, put the top in the machine, then grab the handles and pull backwards turning the bag inside out as I go.
Features We Love:

• Great Construction!
• Large wet pocket- Holds two days worth of diapers!
• Easy to use
• Great for travel- Easy to pack or great to pack stuff in!

The Downside:

• Drying time- You can shorten the drying time by pulling out the lining and letting it hang with the “insides” out.
• Zipper- The zippers are very small and hard to grasp sometimes, especially when you have a dirty diaper in one hand. I plan to tie a ribbon on the zippers to make them easier to grab.

We Vote:

• Easy to Use
• Convenient for Everyday Use
• Convenient for Travel
• Cute Fabrics
• Excellent Quality
• Love it, Love it, Love it

Overall Rating (out of 10): 10
Pictures In Use

Softbums Review

Basic Information:
SoftBums are a one-size diaper system. This is an all-in-two diaper system, which means that they have a waterproof shell and snap-in inserts.  This allows you to reuse the shell after the insert has gotten dirty. The basic inserts are made of layers of micro-terry and one layer of micro-fleece. The outer shell is PUL and the inner part of the shell is micro-fleece. The basic pack includes a bamboo doubler which can also be used as the insert for newborns. It is elasticized across the back and along the thigh areas. It is currently available in 9 colors and 1 print (as of 01/2010). It has hook and tabs to easily adjust around baby’s waist. Before laundering, press the tabs to the inner laundry tabs. Snap waists are now available.

How it works:
They have adjustable leg elastic allowing you to make the diaper larger or smaller (from 2”-14”) based on your child’s size. There are snuggers on the elastic that allows you to adjust the leg area, stored between the outer PUL layer and the inner microfleece layer.

There is one snap on the inner part near the back of the diaper where you snap-in the insert. The insert is very long, so you fold it over when you are putting diaper on baby. When the diaper is wet, you simply unsnap the insert and snap-in a new one. The company recommends having 3 inserts per cover. In our experience, you need to let the cover dry out before using it again, the fleece lining gets damp. For extra absorbency, you can add a hemp doubler-we do this at night.

Price:
The basic pack is $36.95 for a single shell, 3 inserts, and a doubler. Bamboo inserts can be substituted for an additional cost. Packages are available which discounts the price per unit.

Our Experience:
We bought these diapers to be our main diapering system before our daughter was born. We bought the Perfect Fit Good Package which comes with 8 covers, 24 inserts, and 8 doublers. We didn’t start using the diapers until she was about 3 weeks old (about 8.5 lbs). She was 7 lbs at birth and using the regular insert made it just too bulky. I didn’t realize that the doubler could have been used as the insert or we would have started sooner.

We’ve had a few leak problems with these inserts, but I attribute it to our laundry routine. I believe that the main problem was that we used regular detergent and fabric softener to wash our clothes and it may have been “hanging out” after the wash cycle in our front loading machines. Although, this didn’t seem to affect the natural fiber (organic cotton) diapers we have, the Softbum inserts started leaking regularly. In the end, we washed them with Dawn detergent and that has eliminated the leak issues. My hypothesis is that the micro-fleece and micro-terry are more sensitive to detergent or fabric softener residue. We stopped using regular detergents and dryer sheets for our normal laundry and started using cloth diaper-safe detergent for everything. Since making the change, we haven’t had any leak problems.


Features We Love:

• Adjustable leg-easy to get the right leg fit for each baby
• Trim fit for an AIO diaper
• Can use the shell multiple times-reducing the laundry loads
• Micro-fleece layer wicks away moisture and almost always feels dry to touch.  The bottom layer holds moisture away from baby's skin. 
• Inserts dry pretty quickly (in one cycle in our machine)

The Downside:

• All-in-twos may not be a good choice for daycare, babysitters, etc.
• Inserts-because of the leak issues we had, if we had to do it over again, we’d pay the extra money for the organic bamboo inserts. 
• Snuggers-can be difficult to reach between the lining. Sometimes the snuggers move while you’re pulling up the front of the diaper during a change.
• Inserts-sometimes they are a little difficult to fold over for the best positioning.  As our baby gets a little older and moves around more, I see this being problematic. 

We Vote:

• Good price

Overall Rating (out of 10): 8
In-Use Photos

pull up the folded-over insert

 

Pull up the cover and velcro 

pictured on a 13 week-old (~12 lbs)

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this review.  I purchased this product for use.

******UPDATE 3/1/10********

I feel that I should update my review of Softbums.  We have had some consistent leak issues.  They tend to leak out the legs while she is nursing.  I tried to improve this by making the leg tighter, but it doesn't help.

I think that I have to amend my overall rating to a 7.

We've totally altered our laundering methods since our first leaking problems. We do not use any type of fabric softener in our washing machine and use CD safe laundry detergent for all of our laundry.  I don't believe that this is a result of residue buildup.  

Cloth Wipes-I Love Them

I had really never realized cloth wipes existed until I starting doing a lot of cloth diaper research while I was pregnant.  At first, I was a little surprised that such a thing existed, because I guess that's a little like reusable toilet paper.  But the more I thought about it, the more they made sense.  And, they made even more sense once we started using cloth diapers and were still using the disposable wipes that we were given as shower presents.  I personally think that it's a big hassle to use a cloth diaper, but then have to find a place to throw away a dirty wipe.  It's not like you can wad them up in the diaper like you do if you have a disposable diaper.  Really, what difference does it make to you to use a cloth wipe?  You're already doing the extra laundry and you're already putting poop in your washing machine, so it's not a big deal. 

My husband was pretty much on board with cloth diapering from the beginning, but I had a little harder time convincing him to use cloth wipes.  In fact, I just had to start using them to get him to do it.  Once we started using them, we loved them.  It only takes one wipe to clean up the mess (unless it's a blowout).  They're soft, durable, and it's another thing that we can do to help save the earth.  We just wet them in the tap and use to wipe her bottom.  I know that some people use a solution of water and baby soap or water and tea tree oil and lavender, but we've used only water thus far.  In our stash, we have 24 wipes and we've never run out of wipes by doing laundry every other day.  We have two types and I like both.

The first type, I bought while I was pregnant.  Unfortunately, I'm not really even sure what brand they are, because they don't have tags on them and my pregnant brain didn't pay attention!  Once we decided to switch to cloth wipes, I went back to the cloth diaper store where I purchased them and they weren't there anymore!! When I asked about the wipes, the clerk told me that she thinks that they are GoodMama brand.  The two sides of this wipe are distinctly different, one side is almost like velour and the other side is more fuzzy.  They are super soft and before we used them as wipes, they made great spit cloths.  These came in a pack of 12, but I honestly can't remember the price.  I remember that I bought them because I thought the price was reasonable.

I was really upset that these wipes were out of stock at the store, but I was in desperate need to get wipes (I basically went cold turkey on disposable wipes).  So I had to get a second kind.  I picked Thristies Fab Wipes, which came in a six pack for $10.95.  They are soft on both sides, almost like a terry cloth, but softer.  They come in cute colors and about the size of a baby wash cloth. 

Once you start using reusable things, I think that it gets a little addicting.  In fact, I love cloth wipes so much, I even briefly considered not buying anymore toilet paper and switching to cloth wipes myself.  But, that might be taking it a little too far, plus my husband immediately nixed the idea. 

The bottom line is that if you're going to cloth diaper, you might as well use cloth wipes.  You'll be doing one more thing to help the environment, you'll save money, and save yourself the hassle of having to dispose of wipes.  Cloth wipes aren't very expensive, and if you don't want to purchase them, I've seen lots of ideas for making your own on the internet.  

Gro Baby Review

Basic Information:

 Gro Baby is a one-size diaper system made by The Natural Baby Company. This is an all-in-two diaper system, which means that they have a waterproof shell and snap-in inserts which allows you to reuse the shell after the insert has gotten dirty. This diaper is also considered a hybrid because it offers biodegradeable, disposable inserts that can be used instead of the cloth inserts. The inserts are made of certified organic cotton and are elasticized on both sides of the long edge. The system comes with a booster for added absorbancy. The outer shell is PUL and the inner part of the shell is quick dry mesh. It is elasticized across the back and along the thigh areas. It is currently available in 4 colors and 4 prints (as of 01/2010). It has hook and loop (think Velcro) tabs to easily adjust around baby’s waist. Before laundering, press the tabs to the inner laundry tabs. A snap waist is available in one color, but they will convert the hook and loops to snaps on your shells at a cost of $3.50 per shell if you send them to the company.

How it works:

 They have an adjustable rise allowing you to make the diaper larger or smaller based on your child’s size. There are three settings, newborn, infant, and toddler, so you just snap the diaper up to make it smaller or leave it unsnapped for the largest setting.

  

There are two snaps on the inner part of the diaper where you snap-in the insert (front and back). When the diaper is wet, you simply unsnap the insert and snap-in a new one. There are sticky tabs on the disposable insert where the snaps would be.

*Note: this review is of the first run of GroBaby diapers.  From my understanding, they have been slightly revised and now have an additional 2cm of fabric on the front.  I personally think that this would be an improvement, but have no personal experience.

Price:

 With a price point of $24.95 for a single shell, pad, and booster, it's about the middle of the road. I feel that it is a good value. Packages are available which discounts the price per unit.
Features We Love:

 • Tabs-this Velcro is soft and unlike the Velcro we all think of! I never worry about rubbing baby with the “scratchy” side.

 • Organic Inserts-they are super absorbent and we like that they have 2 snaps to keep them in place. These are our preferred night-time diaper. We use the booster, but I’m not sure that we even need it. The insert is actually two separate pieces sewn together reducing drying time, which is helpful.

 • Mesh inner layer-dries quickly. Unlike another AI2 system we have with microfleece lining, this one we would actually snap in a fresh insert and use immediately. Unless (more like until) the shell gets soiled, we usually use one shell for at least a ½ day.

 • Elastic-I like that it has a small diameter. It doesn’t put big red marks on our baby’s legs.

The Downside:

•  Insert has a longer dry time than some of our other diapers
• At the smallest setting, you need to fold over the insert a tad bit or it may stick out.
• Not a wide variety of colors available.
•  Laundry tabs tend to come undone in the wash, but they don’t stick to everything, so it hasn’t created a problem for us.
• All-in-twos may not be a good choice for daycare, babysitters, etc.

 We Vote:

• Good price
• Good value
• Great for nighttime 
• Dad’s Favorite
• Easy AI2

Overall Rating (out of 10): 9

Pictures of Dipe in Use: (on an 11 week old baby; ~11.5 lbs)

Disclosure:  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  I purchased this product.

***UPDATE 3/1/10****

I want to update you on something that I think is very important.  Gro Baby has excellent customer service.  Recently, the elastic along the back of one of our covers completely came loose.  Basically, it isn't usable because you can't make it tight enough around the waist.  I contacted the company on a Sunday night and they sent me a return email first thing on Monday.  They are sending me a prepaid shipping envelope to return the cover and will repair or replace my cover.  I couldn't ask for anything more!  Thanks Gro Baby!

Overall Rating (out of 10): 9