Giveaway: Disana Organic Wool Cover

We love our new Disana Wool Covers and we believe you would too. That's why Ava's Appletree is giving away one Disana Wool Cover, your choice of colour and size! Disana Wool Covers are made of 100% organic merino wool. The wool is very soft and slightly stretchy and fits perfectly over fitted diapers or prefolds. Please visit our store for more information: http://www.avasappletree.ca/disana-organic-wool-diaper-cover-day-and-night/

Our giveaway will end on March 27, 2012. Have a chance to win one of Disana's popular wool covers and make your entry now! Giveaway is open to Canada only.

Please note: each of the entries have to be done manually e.g. if you want to follow the blog, you have to go to the left sidebar and sign up to follow our blog via email or google. You need to leave a comment to each of the entries how you fulfilled them. Thanks!

Flip Potty Trainer Review

Compared to our older daughter, our son seemed to have a much harder time to get through the day without accidents when we began potty training him. The toughest part was all the extra laundry we had to do as most of his underwear wasn't waterproof and therefore his pants got wet as well with every accident. I couldn't resist taking out a pack of Flip Training Pants when they arrived in our store to try them out with our 2 1/2 year old son with the hope of finally having a product that would keep his clothing dry, would work well over-night and that would finally get him out of diapers.
Here is what you get with the package: 1 one-size waterproof shell with 2 detachable, stretchy tabs (to hold the pants together on the sides) and 5 organic cotton inserts.

As with all cloth diapers you have to prewash them 3-5 times to reach maximum absorbency. I only washed them twice before our first use because I was too impatient to try them out, but they were already plenty absorbent.

After fiddling around with the inserts for a just a few moments, I was able to attach them to the cover through velcros. The velcros are covered by a piece of PUL so they won't destroy your other diapers or laundry.

Our son is an average sized 2 1/2 year old boy, a bit on the slender side, and I had to set the snaps to the smallest setting to ensure a snug fit around the legs. I believe though that it would also fit well on most younger children since many kids thin out after the age of two, like our son. The product recommendation is 18 months to 4 years.

Then I needed to wait for his first accident! Of course nothing happened. When it was time for his nap I placed a waterproof cover underneath him, still not quite trusting that the shell would keep all in.
But it did! Yes! After his nap his insert was soaking wet but on the outside he was completely dry.
The side snaps opened easily, the cover was reusable after a quick wipe, I removed the wet insert, attached a new insert and he was ready to go.

Best of all, he really likes his new training pants and was proudly showing them to his big sister and my husband. So cute!

My only concern is that with one poop the cover would probably need to be washed, so it's best to have a spare set of training pants handy.

Overall I highly recommend Flip Potty Trainers, they are fun, reusable & reliable.

Please visit our store for more information: www.avasappletree.ca

Flip Potty Trainer in the smallest setting

Waterproof Shell

Stretchy Tabs

bumGenius Valentine's Giveaway

Happy Valentine's Day!

We are hosting a bumGenius giveaway on our Facebook page. Visit us on Facebook and have a chance to win 2 bumGenius diapers and a bumGenius detergent sample! Please note that you have to live in Canada to qualify for the giveaway. http://www.facebook.com/AvasAppletree

Winner of our BumGenius Giveaway:

Numbers have been given to each person (in the order they came in) that has shared our giveaway.

Entry #8 has won!

Congratulations Seiko Har! You are the winner of our bumGenius giveaway!

Please send us your mailing information.

Handmade Soaps: Craft Ideas for Children

Making handmade soaps with children is easy and a lot of fun and is a perfect afternoon activity for those cold January days when you'd rather stay at home. They also make wonderful gifts from the kids for auntie's or grandma's upcoming birthday. The best part is to see your kids proud little faces when they see what they have accomplished.

What you need

100% Pure glycerin soap (you can find this in any well-sorted craft store)
Molds (we used some silicone cupcake forms and glasses)
Ingredients, you can use whatever you like. In our sample we have used lavendar, pine needles from our Christmas Tree, pressed flowers (leftovers from the last summer) & pomegranate seeds to add some rich colour.

How it works

Cut the glycerin soap into small blocks and place them into a glass. Melt the soap by placing the glass in either a hot bath on the stove or in the microwave for a couple minutes.
The soap is now liquid and can be slowly poured into the molds. Layer ingredients and soap until your soap has reached its perfect size.
Let it dry.
The soaps can be easily removed from the silicone molds once dry or can be tapped out with the help of a knife out of the glass.
Done!

Enjoy your handmade soaps!

Artemis Plant Colour Natural Crayons

A few weeks ago, we received a new shipment of natural art supplies for children. Most of them are made by the German art company Stockmar, which produces quality art supplies that are non-toxic and are often used in classrooms in Canada. One product in specific had reallycaught my interest, the Artemis Plant Colour Pastel Crayons, made by Stockmar. Mothering  Magazine featured them as one of the top natural art supplies for children in 2011, so I was really excited to try and test them.
The colours are stunning! Our children, age 4 and 2, loved the vivid and warm colours of the pastel crayons and they fit nicely into their small hands. The crayons can be applied smoothly and easily onto paper, almost like oil crayons and much easier than with regular wax crayons, and they work well on either coarse or regular paper. The crayons seemed to have a harder texture than regular crayons but have been thoroughly enjoyed by our art-loving kids. Artemis Plant Colour Crayons can be applied on paper, cardboards and even glass.

Artemis Plant Colour Crayons are made from natural beeswax combined with colourants that are derived from natural plant sources such as flowers, leaves, roots and seeds, giving the crayons a unique, warm and luminous colour.

I imagine the beautiful colours and textures would be especially great for older children with blossoming art skills, and also for all the artistically-inclined moms out there.

View our great selection of natural art & craft supplies at Ava's Appletree - Natural Parenting Store.

AMP one size Duo Diaper now with prints!

Great news for all AMP Diapers fans: AMP's most popular one size Duo Diaper is now available in fun prints. AMP one size Duo Diaper convinces through its versatility, great fit and outstandstanding performance.

Get your AMP one size Duo Diaper Prints today and see why so many parents love them. These new prints are a limited edition and are only available while supplies last.

Later Gater

Happy

Wee Trunk

The Moby Wrap - Best Newborn Baby Wrap

Babywearing has such a positive effect on babies and parents that it isn't surprising so many new parents are searching for the best newborn baby carrier each year. Being a mom and having carried both of my kids, I have developed a passion for baby carriers. My husband and I have tried many different styles but hands down, the Moby Wrap has been our favourite newborn baby carrier. 

Moby Wrap - Is there are better place to be?

The soft, light stretchy cotton wraps so nicely around you and your baby, and it looks so cozy in there, that I can't imagine a better place for baby to be. Your baby is able to smell, feel, hear and see you, and it really calms them. And what parent doesn't love to be close to their baby? It is just a great way of bonding, even if you are busy doing other things. 
The fabric straps on the Moby Wrap are wider than on most other carriers and they really distribute your baby's weight evenly across your shoulders and helps support your back. I had previously used a carrier with much narrower straps and thought it was fairly comfortable, but I was surprised just how much more comfortable I was with the Moby Wrap. Three pieces of fabric secure your baby safely while in the Moby Wrap, two pieces which run vertical over the back of your baby and one piece which runs horizontal over the back. If your baby falls asleep you can keep their little head safe by tucking it in under the soft fabric.
Some parents feel intimidated to use a baby wrap as you need to learn some wrapping techniques, but  after a few tries you and your baby will get used to it and it'll be like tying your shoelaces. You just put it on and you are ready to go!
The Moby Wrap is a one-size-fits-all baby wrap and comes in a wide range of neutral colours which makes it a great carrier to share with your partner or other caregivers.
As mentioned before, the Moby Wrap is a wonderful newborn carrier but not only as it accommodates babies 7-35lbs. If your baby loves it as much as my kids did, you will enjoy it for a long time.

We are happy to offer this wonderful baby wrap in our store.
If you like, you can view our entire collection of Moby Wraps.

All our baby carriers and baby wraps ship for FREE within Canada!