Tips for Dealing with Bedwetting

"Mommy, I wet the bed!"

Ever wake up to those five little words that let you know it's just going to be a great <insert sarcasm here> morning?

As mothers (and dads!) we have enough to do without waking up at the crack of dawn by being poked in the face by a wet toddler, but it's just a simple reality of having children. At some point it inevitably happens to every parent.

One of the things I've learned (having grown up in such a big family) is that children don't stop wetting the bed at a magical age. I've seen night-time accidents at all different stages of childhood, and I even wet the bed once when I was eight years old! (Then I clogged the toilet by flushing my pajamas in my sleep-confused state.)

Fortunately there are a lot of tips out there to help stop bedwetting, and even some handy products to help things go smoother. Check out our list below!

Tips for Coping with Bedwetting:

Lay out a 'No Teasing or Telling' rule. Although this rule is mostly good for children who have siblings that might see bedwetting as a good opportunity to poke fun at a brother or sister, it's also good to remind only-children that if they hear of someone in a similar situation they shouldn't resort to picking on that person.

Be Patient. Your children take cues from you more often than you think. If you become overly-frustrated with the problem, they will too. Remind them that all things take time to learn, and this is no different than learning how to read or tie their shoes.

Don't blame your child. He or she may be trying their hardest to not wet the bed at night, but blaming your child isn't the solution. Making a big deal about bedwetting can make your child feel that they are the only one experiencing this problem! Instead, share a story from your own childhood if you can, or reinforce the fact that everyone does it at some point or another. (Seriously, I'm pretty sure everyone but Jesus has wet the bed.)

Keep sheets, pillowcases, extra pillows, stuffed animals, and pajamas for your child ready to go each night. Try not to let your child see that you have a back-up plan for when/if they wet the bed, as this may make them feel you don't have confidence in them. Instead, store it in a place that is convenient for you. The last thing you want to do at 3am is stumble around the house in your underwear pulling sheets out of the dryer.

Tips for Stopping Bedwetting:

Have your child help with the clean-up. Making your child responsible for helping with bed-changes will help them realize how much work it is to continually change the bed. This reminder of imminent-chores may help rouse them to use the restroom if they partially awaken in the middle of the night.

No drinks after...? Count back two hours from your child's bedtime. Let your son or daughter know that they need to take their last drink of the night then. When your child has a good handle on holding their bladder at night, you can move the rule to an hour before bedtime.

Bathroom trips, bathroom trips, bathroom trips! Make sure your child empties his or her bladder before bed. If your child gets up for any reason after you've put them to bed, make sure that they visit the toilet again.

Get a nightlight.

Despite all our promises to remember what life was like as a child, most of us eventually forget. Remember how scary it was to leave bed in the middle of the night? The darkness can be scarier than wetting the bed when you're just a little guy (or gal), so don't forget to leave a little lighting on for your child to see his or her way to the bathroom. Check out this cute & portable Munchkin one on Amazon for around 10 bucks.

Set an alarm for yourself. As much as a mom or dad needs their sleep, sometimes it's easier to make a little sacrifice in the name of prevention. The brain can be taught to work as an internal alarm clock, but not without a little nudge. Wake your child up at the exact same time every night (around 2 or 3am) and take him or her to the bathroom. Eventually their brain will start to see a pattern and will prompt them to awaken at that time each night without your help, which will allow them to get up and use the toilet.

Listen for sounds! Many kids start to partially awaken when they need to use the bed, and lots of parents have reported that night terrors and bedwetting can even go hand in hand. If you hear your child talking in their sleep or yelling, try to gently take them to the toilet and prompt them to use it. Your child will probably not wake up throughout the incident, but you'll be able to head back to bed knowing that there won't be any sheets to change in the morning!

Products That Can Help:

Bedwetting Alarm. Believe it or not, you can purchase underwear or bedpads with a moisture-sensor that will trigger an alarm or buzzer if your child starts to wet the bed. These are a bit on the pricier side, but tend to work rather well.

Bedpad.

These are usually pretty affordable but can go a long way in protecting your child's mattress. You can wash sheets as many times as you want, but there's not much you can do to remove the urine smell from a mattress! Grab a bedpad like this one from Wearever to avoid purchasing a new mattress.

Medication. In some instances bedwetting is more of a problem than usual. Although I don't personally like resorting to medicines to solve problems like this one, there is help out there if it is needed. One of my siblings (who shall remain nameless!) had an especially hard time with bedwetting for over a decade and my mom did eventually start to use the medications available with some success.

Last of all, if you're feeling like this is a problem that will never end, take it from my mom who has been through 9 kids, all of whom have wet the bed at one point or another: "You'll get through it, they'll get over it. After all, how many 21-year-old's do you know that wet the bed?"

Are you going through a hard time with a child who is bedwetting?
What has worked for you?

Chat with me in the comments below, I love hearing from my readers!

(The Wearever Economy Bed Pad Giveaway that was associated with this post has expired; please check out our giveaways tab for a list of available contests! Please take a look at our Winners List or contact the good blogger over at SavorySavings.com if you have questions about the results of this giveaway.)

De-Stink Your Fridge With Oransi!

I received an Oransi Ionic Air Purifier for my refrigerator for free in order to do this review, but (as always) my opinions and findings are my own. If you want to see more on my disclosure policy, check out the tab at the top titled 'Let me disclose to you'.

When I test a product, I like to really give it a test drive. So I tried to think of something with a really strong smell so I could stink up my fridge.

My mother-in-law is Puerto Rican, and she makes a really awesome sofrito. (For those who don't know what sofrito is, it's basically a finely minced mix of veggies & herbs that you can add to your dishes to give them extra flavor.) Since sofrito is made with a healthy dose of fresh garlic, onions, and cilantro, I knew it would smell up our fridge easily if I left the cover off. And it did.

Smell Overload:

As a matter of fact, the fridge got so smelly after a couple of hours that I was afraid the milk would start to taste bad. I held out for a day though, and soon our fridge smelled like a bad case of B.O. (That's not what sofrito tastes like of course... but the stink gets a little intense if it gets cooped up.)

I decided the poor fridge had enough and put the Oransi Ionic Air Purifier into the fridge.

I thought that I would have to wait a few days to see how long the smell came out. Nope.

Six hours. I'm really not even kidding, I couldn't believe it myself. I've seen sofrito spill in the fridge before and the smell just lingers forever, even after you've washed it. We even have Tupperware containers that we won't use for anything except sofrito because of the smell!

Time for Round 2!

Wondering if something went wrong (aka I was being a skeptic as usual), I chose to do a second test. I heated up a container of fresh garlic and a container of fresh chopped onions, and put both open containers in the fridge for a day.

And boy did that fridge stink.

It got to the point that opening the fridge was like walking into a wall of garlic breath. I put the Oransi Ionic Air Purifier back in and turned it on. Six hours later... no smell.

I still couldn't believe that the smell was coming out that fast... so I went for one last test.

Fish smell, anyone?

I hate the smell of fish. Hate it so much that I can't even eat seafood if there is a fish smell to it. I love crab, but I won't even bring it home to cook or even bring it home pre-made because of the smell that it will leave in the fridge.

My husband however, loves seafood and doesn't care about the ocean-y smell. He loves eating salmon and salmon dips especially, so I got him both and left a little of each out in the open in the refrigerator. The smell made me want to gag, but I left it in there for the required day. Afterwards, I put the Oransi Ionic Air Purifier in. Seven and a half hours later, the smell was gone!

Overall...

This is one of the coolest little products I've ever seen! I'll admit that I was a little a lot skeptical at first. I've heard varying opinions about ionizing products and how well they work. All I know is that my fridge smells fresher than it ever has, and I don't have to worry about seafood stinking it up anymore!

Update:

Over a year since I first posted this and this fridge air purifier is still working great. As a matter of fact, we can always tell when the batteries need changed because the fridge will start to stink a little!

Connect:

If you want to de-stink your fridge, you can visit Oransi on their website at www.oransi.com. Or, check them out in social media on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest. You can also snag one of these by heading over the Amazon page HERE.

Have you ever tried an ionic purifier? What stinks up your fridge the most?

Chat with me in the comments below, I love hearing from my readers!

(The Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier Giveaway that was associated with this post has expired; please check out our giveaways tab for a list of available contests! Please take a look at our Winners List if you have questions about the results of this giveaway.)

Review: Ageless Derma Anti-Wrinkle Cream

Back when I wrote up my review on Ageless Derma's Satin Lip Gloss, I mentioned that I would love to be able to try more of their products. Luckily for me, I was offered just that chance!

Although I did receive a jar of Ageless Derma's Stem Cell and Peptide Anti-Wrinkle Cream for free in order to do this review, please know that my opinions are always honest and completely my own. For more on my disclosure policy, please see the tab titled "Let me disclose to you". Now on to the review!

Okay so the first thing that I always personally think when I see anything with "stem cell" on it is that it's associated with something gross. Let me just nip that thought in the bud. These aren't people or animal stem cells that are being used, they are rare Swiss apple stem cells. Not sure why that's important? Let me explain...

A Crash Course in Apples:

Apparently this particular type of Swiss apple is an old and rare specie and the apples themselves have particularly good life-spans after picking. (They can also self-heal when cut, how cool is that?) And when I say that the apple is old and "rare", I mean so old and rare that it was discovered sometime in the 18th century and it was on the verge of extinction even then. Nowadays it's on a National Conservation list in Switzerland in an attempt to save the specie. Although this apple (scientifically named Uttwiler Spätlauber) was down to just 2 trees at one point, they now have at least 20 trees thanks to conservation efforts by ProSpecieRara.

How I Know This Cream is Legit:

Why is this all important? It's important because every time the beauty industry comes out with a new "miracle" cream, the first question most people ask is: 'If it's so great, why doesn't every cosmetics company use it?'

Well, in this case the answer is obvious - the tree is rare, not to mention conservation-protected, so the creams are far and few between, and a bit on the pricier side. This definitely is not a product you're going to find in the beauty section of your local Wal-Mart.

But there's good news! You can order this type of cream online, and although Ageless Derma's particular blend costs around $65, it lasts a long time. The best part of all though, is that this stuff actually works.

Yes, it's true. I have a wrinkle.

Although I am still a young woman, I have been getting a nasty wrinkle coming straight down between my eyes since I was just a teenager. My mom used to tell me if I didn't quit frowning when I got upset, my face would "stick that way", and I guess in a sense she was right! I am one of those people who wear their emotions on their sleeve, so every time I got angry or worried the wrinkle made its appearance.

Unfortunately I wore down the cells of my own skin in that area over time, resulting in a constantly-visible wrinkle. I don't feel like I look old with it so much as I feel like I just look worn out, and I hate that. ( I AM worn out, of course... but I don't want to LOOK that way!)

Always the skeptic...

I was pretty skeptical about this anti-wrinkle cream at first because I have tried a lot of different department store creams with no luck. You have to read the fine print on those creams, and many times you'll find that they just put some sort of shimmer in to make the wrinkle reflect back, which causes it to be less noticeable. The cream from Ageless Derma doesn't work to hide the wrinkle though, it works to repair the skin, and that's what I really needed.

Blah at my crazy skin.

At first when I started using it, my face broke out a little. I don't know why, but my skin seems to respond to every new cream, lotion, soap, or make-up item by breaking out for a week or two after introduction. I felt like a teenager for half a month as I dutifully scrubbed my face, and I wondered if I'd ever be able to put the cream on without looking like you could play connect-the-dots on my forehead!

At last! Results!

Finally my skin cleared up and I was able to do a solid two-week span of testing out the cream. I chose a two-week period for my testing because in my experience, that's usually the minimum it takes to be able to see a difference in skin if you've been using a product in a daily regimen.

I just want to put it out there to everyone that has ever tried a skincare item and hasn't been pleased with the results: You have to be constant. Don't try an item sporadically over a month and then complain that it doesn't work. Most products aren't able to be used that way if you want solid results.

Below is the difference in my wrinkle after two weeks of solid use. The picture has not been edited or blurred, and I did my best to keep the lighting similar in both photos. Additionally, I took this photo with the light source shining in a way that would make my wrinkle more visible due to shadowing. As you can see, even though I was attempting to make the wrinkle area really stand-out in the After picture, my wrinkle is still barely visible... and it's definitely no where near as noticeable as in my Before photo!

'After' picture was taken after a solid 2-week test period using Ageless Derma's Stem Cell & Peptide Anti-Wrinkle Cream.

Connect!

If you're curious to try some of this cream for yourself, you can connect with Ageless Derma on their website at www.agelessderma.com, or connect with them through their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

What do you think of the Before & After picture?

Is this a cream you would try for yourself?

Chat with me in the comments below, I love talking with my readers!

Would you 'Bet on Your Baby'?

Have you heard of the unique game show called Bet on Your Baby?

I've been checking it out, and it looks like a ton of fun. I wonder how my little Sophia & I would do on the show!

The show, which is hosted by Melissa Peterman, just started back up on May 31. The premise of the show is to see how well parents really know their babies.

Contestants put their baby into the baby dome and then stand outside as their child is asked to do a task (like choose a toy) without the help of mom & dad! If the parents guess what their baby will do correctly they stand to win a LOT of cash.

I would love to say that I'd do well with my one-year-old, but the truth is - she never does the same thing twice! Most days it is all I can do to even guess what she's going to eat off of her plate!

Hashtag Alert!

I think one of the parts I also love about the show is that it is interactive with the at-home audience via social media. You can tweet the hashtag #BetYes or #BetNo to say what you think is going to happen, and on certain questions the show will put the poll results up for everyone to see!

How do you think you would do on the show with your baby?

Chat with me in the comment section below!

Scroll down to see some cute gifs from Bet On Your Baby and then make sure to check out the show at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC on Saturday nights!

Connect:

You can watch Bet On Your Baby by visiting their page on ABC's website HERE. Or follow along with them through social media on Twitter or Facebook!

(The Bet on Your Baby Luv's Giveaway that was associated with this post has expired; please check out our giveaways tab for a list of available contests! Please take a look at our Winners List or contact me through the form found here if you have questions about the results of this giveaway.)

Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light Review

Recently I received the opportunity to check out the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light to review, and I was super-excited to take it on a test drive.

My thanks goes out to the manufacturer for providing this product free-of-charge and to Trekaroo (one of my favorite travel sites) for choosing me as the lucky member that got to do the review!

It's been a super tough month here. Between frequent trips to the doctor, trying to keep tabs on three different blogs, making sure my kids get to all their play-dates, and dealing with our internet frequently going down - I've all been a mess.

One of the things that has kept me stable though, is the nearby park that my husband works at.

On days when the internet is down at our house, I can count on being able to access the public Wi-Fi there. I can work my husband's schedule around the kids' play-dates so that we spend the whole day there instead of running back and forth. Even when I have to head in to the doctor's office, the park works out as a great way to catch a quick lunch with my family before or after my appointments.

The biggest problem with all of this has been the fact that my daughter (who is now a one-year-old) has not yet learned that mommy needs her to stay nearby. What she has learned is how to wriggle free of her stroller and climb down the sides - which is definitely the last thing I need when I'm trying to write a piece up for a deadline or research something for an upcoming topic.

I started out using the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light by simply taking it with us on these daily trips to the park and it was a huge help for me! Not only did my daughter love it, but it was so easy to set-up and take-down that it made me want to use it more often. And I do! I use it at the park, at the beach, on day-trips for an instant-nap-space... I even use it at-home to keep my daughter with me outside while I garden!

Pros:

• My daughter loves the crib, which I suspect is due to how soft and cushion-y the mattress is!
• Easy to set-up and take-down - I did both in less than a minute & a half in the video below.
• Light to carry - even with my frequent fatigue problems, I had no trouble carrying this weight.
• Specially-fitted sheets are made out of soft, organic material - great for my sensitive-skin baby!
• Subdued colors allow the travel crib to blend into any environment instead of being an eyesore.
• Cleans easily - my baby got muddy footprints on the inside and I easily wiped them off with a little baking soda & water!

Cons:

• You need a little bit of arm-strength to take the crib down. Not much, but for someone like me who is dealing with constant fatigue issues, I can feel it. If you have weak arm-muscles, this might be a minor issue.
• It doesn't fit into a stroller bin. I found this to be the biggest con while using the product. I can't fit it into the carry-space at the bottom of my stroller, and as you can see from the picture, it's quite a bit wider than the average stroller is. It was difficult to carry the product and push the stroller at the same time. Granted, this wasn't the every-day occurrence, but whenever I had to do it I felt like I was doing a juggling routine!
• The price may be an issue for some, but a quick perusal through Google Shopping will reveal that most travel cribs fall close into the the $200+ price range. The truth is, regardless of what brand name you are looking at, you're going to have to shell out a little bit of cash for this type of item.

Overall:

If you're frequently on-the-go and need a quick place for your child to sleep or just want the assurance of knowing your baby is playing safely by your side - this crib is a must-have. I love being able to set-up or take-down within seconds, and I'm able to do a lot more (like garden) that I wasn't able to do before receiving this travel crib. Make sure to check out the video here to see how easy-to-use the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light really is!

Connect!

Interested in finding out more about the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light? You can visit them on their website at www.BabyBjorn.com to see this product, plus many others! Or, connect with them on social media for updates, deals & more on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube.

And don't forget to check out Trekaroo.com for the latest and greatest travel tips for families. Whether your kids are big or small, this site is made especially for moms & dads (or anyone traveling with children!) and can make your trips a lot easier.

Do you frequently travel with children?

What do you do when you are stuck somewhere with a napping baby & no crib?!

Share with me in the comments section, I love talking with my readers!

Disclosure: This complimentary product was received from the manufacturer to be reviewed by Trekaroo. I received no other compensation, and was not required to express any particular point of view.

Does your ferret stink? Here's what to do about it:

Maybe you're the new owner of a ferret, or maybe you've just learned to live with the smell that a ferret puts off. Perhaps you've considered buying one in the past, but just don't know if you would be able to handle their natural musty odor.

Well, I'm here to tell you: Ferrets aren't nearly as smelly as what you think, and it's definitely not their poop you smell. If you doubt this, find a single piece of their dried up poo and give it a sniff. Not smelly? Of course it isn't. You can't even catch an odor until you get your face a few inches away. So their poop doesn't stink - that leaves only a couple of options as to what causes that ferret-y smell, and it can all be controlled quite easily!

Ferrets have B.O.

It's just a simple fact. It isn't their fault, but they just do. It doesn't matter if you remove their anal glands, they are still going to smell because of the glands in their skin. Before you go turning your nose up (or away in this case) at the ferret for it's stinkiness though, remember that humans tend to have a little B.O. themselves... they just put on deodorant to mask it.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you go find a tube of roll-on and slick it over your ferret twice a day, but there are things that you can apply to your ferret to keep them from stinking.

First off, if you really can't stand the smell, make sure you are giving your ferret a bath now and again, but not more than once a month.

Bathing them more than that can actually dry out their skin and end up making them more smelly - the opposite of what you're trying to achieve. Some people even recommend not giving a bath more than once every 2 to 3 months.

Try to wait until your ferret has accidentally gotten himself dirty (think rolling in poop by mistake) and then bathe him. If the ferret seems itchy after his bath, make sure his next bath is accompanied by some ferret conditioner.

Next, get yourself a "deodorant" for your ferret. If you've seen those handy little bottles of ferret water-less shampoo spray sitting on the shelves before, and thought that it was just a waste of money - it's not. This is just like you putting on your deodorant in the morning - you wouldn't go a day without it, so don't blame them for the smell if you aren't giving them something to control their B.O. daily!

Ferret water-less shampoos come in all sorts of scents and you can safely use them every day. I like to spritz both of my ferrets once right before I let them out to play in the morning.

Ferrets have smelly ears. I don't know why their earwax stinks so much, but it does. Some ferrets get a build-up of wax much faster than others do, but it all amounts to the same thing: smelly ears mean a smelly ferret. You should clean your ferret's ears about once every two weeks.

This isn't the easiest chore in the world of course, and if you're sitting around thinking "Hm, I don't think I've ever cleaned my ferret's ears...", you're going to have an even more difficult time of it. If you start cleaning their ears regularly while young, they will become more and more familiar with the process and eventually won't fight you on it. Obviously, it's easier to hold a kit (a young ferret) and ease them into new things, but if you have to hold on to a full-grown ferret while you teach them to get their ears cleaned (mind you, they will be wiggling furiously to get away), that's a lot harder. It has to be done though.

In addition to the smell, not having clean ears will increase the chance that your ferret will get ear mites - just like a cat. That leads to head shaking and scratching, which can cause bloody ears or infection. So just do yourself a solid in the beginning and make this a bi-weekly routine.

Ferret urine smells disgusting.

No, don't put your nose down to smell this one, just take my word for it. This isn't their fault either of course, and if you don't believe me, smell your own pee after a few cups of coffee or soda. Doesn't smell pretty? I didn't think so. Ferrets have a highly carnivorous diet, and their bodies and excretions seem to be heavily impacted by what they put in their bodies. There are a few things you can do to get rid of the smells caused by their urine, and the last one will surprise you.

Get a water additive.

Humans aren't the only ones that like to put a little something in their water. I'm not suggesting that you add some Mio or Crystal Light to their H2O of course, but it wouldn't hurt to add some Good-Bye Odor (or a similar product) into their drinking supply. This stuff works really well - but it's expensive. So before you buy it, grab the small bottle and decide whether or not the difference is worth the cost. You need to put three to five squirts of it into their clean water every time you change it. And you should be changing it daily, whether your ferret drank it all or not. If you can stick with it though and remember to do it every day, the smell is reduced drastically.

Get those fancy cloth toys off the floor.

I'm sorry, I know, that cloth-scrunchy-tube-thing you bought your ferret is her F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E toy. But it still shouldn't be on the floor of her cage. If you doubt it, pick it up and give it a sniff. Peeeuwww. And you wonder why they stink? It's not always them, it's their stuff too! Well, technically it stinks because the ferret stinks, but you get the idea.

Toys that go on the floor need to be kept outside for playtime. Replace the toys inside (and the bedding, oh geez, get rid of that stinky on-the-floor bedding) with things that hang. Hammocks, that crazy floating pirate ship everyone seems to have, toys that attach (securely) to the side of the cage, and toys that are not made of cloth are all great choices. Make sure you are rinsing any non-cloth item once a day (or at least wiping it with a damp paper towel), and spritzing waterless shampoo on the other cloth stuff (in or out of the cage) once per day.

And if you're wondering why the hanging stuff smells less than the stuff on the floor... Have you ever left a slightly damp towel on the floor? It doesn't dry out. If you leave a slightly damp towel hanging in the air though, it eventually dries and you can reuse it. The towel on the floor however, starts to smell so disgusting you want to pitch it out by the time you pick it up again. Ferrets do use the litter-box, but they also have accidents. If one of those accidents gets soaked into a cloth-anything on the floor of their cage... well, you get the picture.

Scoop the litter-box(es) once a day, change them once a week.

Come on, people, it isn't that hard to scoop once per day. Have you seen their poops? So tiny. Plus, you and I both know that you have a bajillion plastic bags you 'plan to reuse' stuffed in the house somewhere. Use them to put their daily dirties in. Just make sure you always leave one little piece of poop and one tiny clump of wet litter behind. Your ferret likes to smell his way back to his litter-box (gross, right?) and if you don't leave it there, he might decide that his new preferred place to do his business is now in the opposite corner. You know, the one without a litter-box.

And the last, most important and possibly greatest change you can make to get the stink away from your ferret - is to...

Get rid of their food!

Yes; get rid of their food and buy a different brand. Go to your ferret's bag. Do the ingredients include fish meal? Do you know how horribly disgustingly smelly fish meal is? If you don't, get a little tiny bit of your ferret's food wet and then come back and smell it an hour later.

Do you feel like you want to barf?

That smell is what you are putting into your ferret.

That smell is what is coming out of your ferret.

That smell is what is in their pee, in their body odor, and even on the floor of their cage. If your ferret is flinging her food around (almost all of them do), chances are, some of it is getting wet. And if it's getting wet, the cage is getting smelly. Do yourself (and your ferret) a huge favor: don't buy food with fish meal in it.

I hope this helps some of you ferret-lovers (and future ferret-lovers) to realize that your pet doesn't have to be smelly. Yes, it's a little more work, but ferrets are naturally more work as a pet. In the end, the extra effort will leave you both happier, and that's totally worth it.

Have you found a great way to keep your ferret stink-free? What do you think of these tips?

Chat with me in the comments below, I love hearing from my readers!

If you're looking for toxin-free diapers, check these out!

Recently I received the opportunity to test out some diapers & wipes from Seventh Generation thanks to ModernMom. Although I received the product for free in order to do my review, please know that my opinions are always completely my own. For more information on my disclosure policy, please see the tab titled 'Let me disclose to you' at the top.

Ever stopped to check out the ingredients in your baby's food?

Of course you have. What parent wouldn't? We have all heard by now about the chemical additives in food, the bubbling tension over GMO labeling, and the frightening thought that some of the foods we ingest contain known carcinogens.

Checking ingredients in our children's food seems like a no-brainer because we know that it is going to go in their little bodies, and we know what can happen if they ingest too many questionable ingredients.

But what about the chemicals we put on them?

Most don't stop to think about it, but each and every day parents all over the world strap a diaper onto their little one. Not only are many of these diapers made in conditions that waste energy, but they contribute to our growing landfill problem. On top of all of that, most diapers are made out a concoction of chemicals, fragrances, and dyes. And those products go right up against the most sensitive part of a baby's skin!

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter had a huge break-out on her skin. We still haven't discovered what it was from, but we know it had to be something that we keep in our home. I wouldn't say that she gets into anything toxic, or dangerous... and yet there it was: a big, nasty, string of hives clear across her chest and going under her arms. The doctor told us that whatever caused her rash was probably on my hands, or my husband's hands, and when we picked her up the chemicals irritated her skin.

In other words: something that I considered safe enough for my skin caused her weeks of irritation and pain! (She still had faint traces of the rash as of the time of this posting.)

Ever since this happened, I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what could have caused the rash, not to mention throwing out any products that aren't safe for sensitive skin!

I was glad to have these diapers because, unlike most other diapers, the diaper cores are bleach-free (seriously, who wants to put bleach next to their baby's private parts?!) and hypoallergenic.

What I Loved:

We never had a single diaper blow-out that the Seventh Generation diapers couldn't handle. Seriously, they were just awesome. I had zero leaks the entire time I used them.

Bonus:

The Free & Clear Diapers from Seventh Generation are the first FSC® Certified Diapers made in North America. (FSC® stands for Forest Stewardship Council.) That's nothing to sneeze at either, because the FSC® has some awesomely-high standards. You can check them out here at us.fsc.org.

Pricing:

I noticed that pricing online varies, but I was able to find deals anywhere from a one pack for $8.89, to a 124-count box for around $40 at Target. (Gotta love them Target prices.)

Connect:

Ready to find out more about Seventh Generation? You can visit them on their website at www.SeventhGeneration.com. Or, check them out in social media on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube or Facebook.

Have you found any great hypoallergenic baby products lately? Chat with me in the comments below, I love to hear from my readers!

Montagne Jeunesse Aloe Vera Face Spa Mask Review: PLUS a giveaway!

My thanks goes out to Montagne Jeunesse for sending me a few free masks in order for me to do a review of their products - you guys are awesome! Although I got the masks for free, please know that my opinions are always 100% my own!

If you love DIY spa days, you probably love finding thrifty ways to replicate your favorite treatments at home. When I don't have the money (or time!) to head to the actual spa, doing a quick facial is a sure way to make me feel like I'm at my best.

Montagne Jeunesse makes individually-wrapped facial masks that are not only easy-to-use but are easy on your wallet as well! Many of you may have even seen these in the store and grabbed one because the price point is hard to pass up - you can snag most of the MJ masks for right around $2 or $3 a piece.

One of the masks I was sent is the Aloe Vera Face Spa. The mask said that it was refreshing and cleansing (which was exactly what I needed after a long, rainy shopping trip with the kids) and I hoped the product would live up to that.

It only took me 10 minutes from beginning to end to do this facial, which makes it great for anyone who is on a tight time-schedule! The unique thing about this particular mask is that all of the facial ingredients have been saturated into an actual 'mask' made out of fabric. Just pull it out of the package, place it on your face, and you are instantly enjoying the refreshing feeling of cool aloe vera on your skin.

After using the mask, my face felt much tighter (in a good way!) and I sort of wished I had a second one so that I could try to use it on my neck. (Oh, saggy mom-neck, why won't you go away?)

I loved the feeling that my skin was left with after using the product and it was awesome to be able to apply the mask so quickly. The best part is that there was no 'mess' to be dealt with - when I was finished I tossed the mask in the trash, rinsed my face, and went on with my day.

Side Notes:

One thing I would like is if this could be bought as a fabric-less mask as well. (Or maybe even come as a double-packet with one package containing just extra facial cream.) I usually apply my masks all the way down my neck to get the full-on exfoliation experience, but because the mask is a one-size-fits all deal, I could only do it down to the edge of my chin. Also, although this would make a fantastic mask to wear on-the-go, it probably isn't something you want to be seen in. So if you are thinking about popping it in your bag and wearing it on the way home from work or the gym, you can... but just remember you may scare the living-something out of other drivers.

Bottom Line:

The purchase price of this mask is really hard to pass up, and it makes me feel as if I just got back from the spa. The smell is fantastic, my skin feels refreshed and I did it all in 10 minutes. If you happen to see these when you're at the store I advise that you grab a few!

Love DIY spa days? What do you do on yours?

Chat with me below, I love hearing from my readers!

Connect:

Want to know more about Montagne Jeunesse? You can visit them on their website at www.montagnejeunesse.com to see their full range of products. Or, connect with them on social media for updates, deals & more via Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube!

Disclosure: UnboundInspiration.com is not responsible for the distribution of this giveaway.