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[Potty Training] Daddy-approved pull-up pants (Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers)

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:00:52 +0000

More on training pants options — this is a review of Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers, provided by Milagro Trading.

Potty training is a long journey, and it’s great when hubby chips in to help, especially with boys. When outdoors, hubby’s in charge of bringing Vee to the toilet and teaching him how to relieve himself “men’s style”.

Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers are certainly Daddy-approved, with their trim fit and ease of pulling up and down. If you’re looking for training pants for day-time and outdoors, read on.

About Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers

These are the main features of the pocket trainers:

Outer fabric: 100% custom milled PUL
Inner fabric: 100% cotton flannel
Soaker: Microfiber (2 sewn in layers)
Closures: 4 side snaps. 2 snap settings per side.
Country of origin: Made in the U.S.A.

They’re available in 2 sizes; and 4 colours with printed cotton flannel inside.

First Impressions

These are unique training pants with prints on the inside instead of outside. Haha… my mum thought that it’s a reversible underwear. And the dinosaur prints would be a hit with boys!

They’re very trim and side snaps make them suitable for pulling up and down during potty training.

There’s 2 layers of sewn-in microfibre, and a back pocket opening for stuffing more inserts to boost absorbency.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Prewash & Laundry: ★★★ I prewashed the Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers by hand in warm water. There was slight colour run by the dark brown fabric, which cleared up after 3 rinses.

Unfortunately, the training pants can’t be washed with hot water.

Subsequent laundry is very easy because of the 1-piece design. They dry quite fast too, within a sunny day.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★ There’re only 4 side snaps to handle. For short hours, no insert is needed — very easy to use.

Even though Vee’s rather chubby, they’re easy to pull up and down, almost like a regular underwear. This is why Daddy loves using this outdoors when bringing Vee to the toilet.

But the pocket is very narrow and feels stiff inside; it’s hard to stuff an insert in. So I’d use it as it is, without adding absorbency.

(c) Fit / Trimness: ★★★★ Vee wears size 3T and is on the smaller waist setting. They fit well at the waist and thighs, while the rise is slightly too long.

They’re very trim (though look puffy in the photos) and fit well under pants for outdoor trips.

The elastics at the back and thighs are sturdy yet gentle without leaving red marks. Vee has a big belly, so it’s good that the trainers rest nicely under his tummy.

Here’re his sexy bums…

(d) Performance: ★★★ The trainers have 2 layers of microfibre and 1 layer of cotton flannel, that can hold 1 of Vee’s pee. This is suitable for potty-training in the day and outdoors.

As mentioned, the pocket is too narrow. I managed to stuff in our narrowest insert (Knickernappies LoopyDo) plus a hemp booster, to last through Vee’s nap. Generally held in well with an occasional leak.

Since these are training pants, I like the feel-wet inner cotton flannel layer.

Personally, I won’t use these for overnight potty training yet until Vee’s dry for more nights in a row.

We didn’t get to test them with poo.

(e) Quality: ★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. We haven’t used them rigorously enough to judge the long term quality.

(f) Overall Value: ★★★ Each pair of Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers retails at SGD21.50. In the U.S., the suggested retail price is USD14.95.

My main gripe about these trainers is the overly-narrow pocket. Otherwise, they’re easy to pull up and down — great for potty training in the day and outdoors. Not for long naps and overnight, unless you want to catch just one pee, or you manage to stuff additional inserts in.

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What we like about it:

Ideal fabrics for training pants — waterproof PUL to contain a pee accident and feel-wet inner fabric
Easy to pull up and down by adult and toddler (nearly 3 years old)
Gentle leg and back elastics that leave no red marks on chubby toddler

What can be improved:

Widen pocket for easy stuffing of inserts
Use fabric that can withstand occasional hot washes
Indicate waist, thigh and rise dimensions for easier choosing of size

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers and other cloth diapering products, visit Milagro Trading.

Special Treat: 10% discount off regular priced cloth diapers products
Discount Code: MUMMYREVIEWS12
Validity Period: Until 30 June 2012

Live outside Asia? You may also check the price at Amazon here: Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers*
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P.S. Coming up next is an article on More Potty Training Tips, the sequel to 18 Sure-Fire Tips for Early Potty Training Success.

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Disclosure: I received 1 pair of Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers from Milagro Trading for review.

Mummy’s Reviews™ is a review site that receives compensation if readers make purchases from affiliate links (these are marked with an *). If we receive compensation from the companies whose products we review, this would be disclosed. These compensation help to maintain and grow Mummy’s Reviews™. We test each product thoroughly and give ratings according to our experience with it. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

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[Potty Training] Cloth diaper that can be used as training pants (Blueberry Basix AIO Cloth Diaper)

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:00:37 +0000

Happy 2012 to you! For the first post this year, I’m reviewing Blueberry Basix AIO Cloth Diaper, provided by Milagro Trading (previously known as Whoopeekiddies).

Vee has been day potty-trained since 23+ months old, and we’re still working on getting him dry when he’s asleep. He’s using this diaper as training pants for night-time potty training.

After 4 months of testing, I like the Blueberry Basix for its comfortable fit and versatile absorbency. It’s among our favourite cloth diapers that dual-functions as training pants.

About Blueberry Basix AIO Cloth Diaper

These are the main features of the AIO (All in One) cloth diaper:

Outer fabric: PUL
Inner fabric: Microfleece
Soaker: Microfiber terry (3 sewn in layers)
Closures: 4 side snaps. 3 snap settings per side.
Country of origin: Made in the U.S.A.

They’re available in 3 sizes; and a variety of colours and prints.

First Impressions

The colourful owl print is super-cute! Being a side snapping diaper, it’s trim and suitable for pulling up and down during potty training.

Though the diaper’s an AIO, there’s a back pocket opening for stuffing more inserts to boost absorbency.

It comes with a soaker that’s sewn in yet can agitate out during wash for quick drying. There’s a front pocket opening for the soaker to escape.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Prewash & Laundry: ★★★★ I prewashed the Blueberry Basix by hand in warm water, and it started absorbing. Unfortunately, the diaper cannot be washed with hot water.

Yes, the sewn in soaker does agitate out during washing. I’m still fascinated by the convenience. It takes about 1+ days to dry when it’s cloudy.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★ There’re only 4 side snaps to handle. For short hours, no insert is needed for the AIO — very easy to use. We add in a hemp insert to use it overnight, so that’s like a pocket diaper.

Vee’s rather chubby, so it’s ok (not super easy) to pull up and down.

(c) Fit / Trimness: ★★★★★ Vee wears size Large and is on the largest waist setting. The rise is just nice for him, not too long, unlike some Large cloth diapers.

Side snaps provide a very good fit on him. I love this.

The elastics at the back and thighs are sturdy yet gentle without leaving red marks. Vee has a big belly, so it’s good that the diaper rests nicely under his tummy.

Here’re his sexy bums…

(d) Performance: ★★★★ Vee likes the owl design so much that he’s wearing them to bed every alternate night, once they’re dry.

The microfleece inner layer feels damp when pee-ed on, which is fine to aid in potty training.

The sewn-in soaker is only 3 layers of microfiber terry, so it isn’t for heavy wetters during sleeping time.

The size of the pocket opening size is generous. We add in a hemp insert to use it overnight. We’d no leak for a few months until Vee’s pee volume increased during a recent period. Now, he has improved and the diaper is able to hold overnight again. (Our night-time potty training journey is like a yo-yo.)

On some mornings, he’d “apologise” to the owls for wetting them, and that he’d try to keep them dry the next time!

We didn’t get to test the diaper with poo.

(e) Quality: ★★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. After many washings, the diaper still looks and performs as good as new.

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Blueberry Basix retails at SGD30. In the U.S., the suggested retail price is USD16.95.

Over the entire diapering period, sized diapers usually requires a larger investment than one size diapers. Yet I’ve always loved sized diapers (especially side snapping ones) for the great fit and ease of use. The Blueberry Basix is a good choice for potty training toddlers, even overnight.

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What we like about it:

Cloth diapers that double up as training pants
Large pocket opening to add inserts for overnight use
Sewn-in insert agitates out in the wash for shorter drying time
Gentle leg and back elastics that leave no red marks on chubby toddler
Lovely prints

What can be improved:

Use fabric that can withstand occasional hot washes

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Blueberry Basix AIO Cloth Diapers and other cloth diapering products, visit Milagro Trading.

Special Treat: 10% discount off regular priced cloth diapers products
Discount Code: MUMMYREVIEWS12
Validity Period: Until 30 June 2012

Live outside Asia? You may also check the price at Amazon here: Blueberry Basix AIO Cloth Diaper*
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P.S. Coming up next is a review on Kissaluvs Pocket Trainers, for day-time and outdoor potty training.

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Disclosure: I received 1 pair of Blueberry Basix AIO Cloth Diapers from Milagro Trading for review.

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[Baby] Swaddle baby easily with Love to Swaddle UP

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:00:07 +0000

Today, I’m reviewing Love to Swaddle UP, provided by SMT Distributors (based in Singapore). It’s a very innovative swaddle that we love and are excited to share with you.

My older boy, Vee, was a very fussy sleeper who had to be swaddled until 6.5 months old! So I was thrilled to review this swaddle on baby Jae, hoping that he’d sleep much better than his brother.

About Love to Swaddle UP Lite

These are the main features of the swaddle:

Fabric: 97% cotton, 3% elastane
Closure: Twin zipper
Country of origin: Made in China (Designed in Australia)

The Lite version is made of material 30% lighter than the Original version. I chose this because of our hot weather all year round. It comes in 3 sizes.

First Impressions

The fabric is very thin and smooth, absolutely suitable for delicate baby skin.

I like the twin zipper design, which makes wearing and diaper changes very easy. The zip is also neatly covered up, so it doesn’t rub against baby.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Laundry: ★★★★ Jae has been using the swaddle every night since 2 weeks old. It can’t be tumble-dried, so I handwash it (in a mad rush) every morning. By evening, it’s usually dry for reusing.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★★ It’s probably the easiest swaddle around. Simply lay baby on it, slip his hands into the corners of the wings, and zip up. Super duper easy. And best of all, baby can’t undo it!

(c) Fit: ★★★★ Size Small is recommended for 3 to 6kg. It has fit well since Jae was 3+ kg. He loves to put his hands to his face, so this swaddle’s design is perfect for him.

When Jae was about 4kg, the swaddle started to fit snugly. He’s now about 4,5kg. Hope it’d really last him till 6kg.

(d) Performance: ★★★★★ At first, Jae would wake up for milk after about 2 hours. The first night he tried the swaddle (at 2 weeks old), we’d to wake him up for feed at 1a.m. and 4a.m.! This miracle didn’t last though. (I wished it did!) Generally, he sleeps very well in this swaddle because it keeps his arms from “flying around” too much.

During breastfeeding, he prefers to cover his face with his hands, so he can feed in a natural position in the swaddle.

It also keeps his hands from scratching me. There’s no need for mittens that tend to drop off easily from his tiny hands.

Diaper changes are easy. Just pull the lower zip upwards. There’s no need to remove the swaddle even when washing baby’s bums.

After 1 month old, Jae started regurgitating milk often, so I bought another swaddle to rotate.

(e) Quality: ★★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. After daily washings for 1+ month, the swaddle still looks and performs as good as new.

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Love to Swaddle UP Lite retails at SGD55.90. The Original version is at SGD49.90. It seems pricey for something that’s used for a few months. Yet I’m all in for investing in baby stuff that facilitates a good night’s sleep, so this is still a good buy. (If you’ve read ALL my reviews on baby sleep products, you’d certainly understand where I’m coming from. Ha!)

A great choice for easy swaddling and for babies who love sleeping with hands up.

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What we like about it:

Allows baby to be swaddled with arms up in a natural position
Baby stays swaddled all night long
Twin zipper design for easy wearing and diaper changes
(Lite version) Very light single-layer fabric — prevents overheating in hot weather
Facilitates breastfeeding even when swaddled up

What can be improved:

We’re very happy with the swaddle!

2 swaddles are usually needed for rotation, so do offer package deals

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Love to Swaddle UP, visit SMT Distributors (Singapore).

Special Treat: 15% discount
Discount Code: MUM-IVJ9L-99195
Validity Period: Until 31 Mar 2012

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Sharing time: Does your baby love or hate to be swaddled? Feel free to share your experiences and reviews in the comments box.

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Disclosure: I received a Love to Swaddle UP Lite from SMT Distributors for review, and bought another one.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: [Baby] Swaddle baby easily with Love to Swaddle UP. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Review: GroVia All-in-Two Hybrid Cloth Diapers [Giveaway #21]

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Many mums are interested in GroVia All-in-Two Hybrid Cloth Diapers. Finally, I get to review the Hook and Loop version, with a sample provided by Mummy Knows Best Shop.

After 3 months of testing, I like that the GroVia AI2 diaper is trim and absorbent. The soaker pad is especially well-designed.

What’s an All-in-Two Hybrid Cloth Diaper?

Well… “All-in-Two Hybrid” can sound overwhelming. Let’s break the terms down…

All-in-Two (AI2): This is a 2-part diapering system, with an absorbent soaker (usually snapped onto) a waterproof diaper shell.

AI2 is a modernised version of the traditional prefold / flats + diaper cover system. The soaker typically doesn’t need folding and is kept in place by being snapped onto the diaper shell. If the soaker has a stay-dry layer, then no liner is needed.

To add absorbency, you may lay extra soakers or boosters on top.

When the soaker is wet, you can reuse the diaper shell by snapping or laying on a clean soaker. Change the diaper shell when it’s soiled or after reusing it several times.

This means a more economical system than pocket diapers, where the entire diaper pocket and inserts are replaced during each diaper change. You may cloth diaper full-time with several diaper shells and a large stash of soakers and boosters.

Hybrid: The option to use a cloth or disposable soaker with the diaper cover or shell.

GroVia offers disposable one-size BioSoakers that can be used with the AI2 diaper shell.

In fact, you may use a disposable soaker with most one-size diaper covers and pocket diapers. I’ve done this regularly during our travels when doing laundry isn’t convenient.

About GroVia AI2 Hybrid Cloth Diaper

These are the main features of the diaper:

Diaper shell: TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane) outer, mesh inner (100% polyester)
Closures: Hook and Loop, or Snap (Overlapping wing flaps)
Rise: 3 x 3 snaps
Soaker: Main body: Certified organic cotton (5 layers); Leg gussets: 88% polyester, 12% cotton; 100% polyester TPU waterproof backing
Country of origin: Made in China

These are the shell measurements:

Rise Setting	Rise	Waist	Thighs
Small	11″ – 15″	13″ – 22″	7″ – 10″
Middle	12″ – 17″	13″ – 22″	8″ – 12″
Unsnapped	13″ – 19″	13″ – 22″	10″ – 15″

The diaper is available in a range of colours and prints.

There’s one year warranty on snaps, lining, elastic and waterproofing. But this is void if the diaper shell has been washed in hot (above 54.4°C). Read more at GroVia’s warranty page here.

First Impressions

The Hook and Loop closures are the STIFFEST I’ve handled. I was so paranoid of ripping the diaper apart!

The design of the soaker pad is well thought out — unique waterproof backing and leg gussets to keep the diaper shell as clean and dry as possible, for further reuse.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Prewash & Laundry: ★★★ I prewashed the GroVia AI2 diaper by hand in warm water, and the soaker pad started absorbing.

The laundry tabs are very sticky, which is good. But they’re supposed to be tucked under the loops, which is quite tricky. I don’t bother doing that and hubby certainly won’t bother with such a detail. Anyway, I wash the diaper shell in a laundry net and it’s been turning out fine.

The diaper shell dries very fast, within a few hours under the sun. The soaker pad has a loop design, yet it often takes up to 2 days to dry.

Washing the diaper shell in hot water voids the warranty. I don’t like this because when Vee gets fungal outbreaks, I’d have to wash his diapers in hot. For a premium brand diaper, I’d expect it to withstand hot washes.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★ The Hook and Loop version is rather easy to use. Just snap on the soaker, fix the Aplix tabs and baby’s free to move.

When reusing the diaper shell, you’d have to unsnap the soaker and snap on (or lay) a new one. In the meantime, baby would have to wait, so it’s easier if she’s patient.

Alternatively, grab another diaper shell with snapped on soaker pad during diaper change. Then deal with the wet/soiled one later.

The Hook and Loop closures are very strong, and difficult (yet still possible) for toddler Vee to undo. He’s a strong bull!

Because I only have 1 GroVia soaker pad, I reuse the diaper shell with other soakers or prefolds without snaps. I need to ensure that the different brand soaker is long enough. If it’s too short, the back snap button on the diaper shell may press against Vee’s skin.

Note: Lay on only natural fibre fabrics such as cotton or bamboo, or soakers with a stay-dry layer (e.g. fleece or suedecloth). Don’t lay on microfibre because this would dry out baby’s skin.

The soaker pad has NO stay-dry layer. For day-time, this feel-wet feeling is good to aid potty-training. For nap or overnight, I need to add a stay-dry liner, which is an additional step.

(c) Fit / Trimness: ★★★★★ The GroVia AI2 with Hook and Loop closures has a very trim fit, which I like.

The elastics at the back and thighs are sturdy yet gentle without leaving red marks. Vee has a big belly, so it’s good that the diaper rests nicely under his tummy.

The diaper fits Vee very well — the beauty of Hook and Loop closures. He’s on the highest rise, with room for growth at the waist.

If you’ve a huge toddler, you may find the cutting too small though.

Here’re his sexy bums…

(d) Performance: ★★★★ Vee is day-time potty-trained, so we tested this diaper during his nap and for overnight.

For nap, the diaper surprisingly holds up well. Vee’s a heavy wetter plus tummy-sleeper, and we’ve faced only 1 minor leak (at the waist area) once. This is commendable because Vee usually leaks through various brands of pocket diapers during sleep-time. (Only pocket fitted diapers plus fleece shorts are bulletproof for him.)

Since Vee loves to sleep on his tummy, I prefer more absorbency in front. The fixed design of the soaker pad doesn’t allow me to adjust.

The waterproof layer behind the soaker pad effectively keeps the diaper shell dry, so the shell can be easily reused. No need to wipe or air-dry it.

For night-time, I’ve tried using a different brand stay-dry soaker plus a hemp insert. Amazingly, the diaper shell had no leak through the night!

For more absorbency, GroVia offers a Stay-Dry Booster (SGD22.90 for 2 pieces).

We didn’t get to test the diaper with poo. The soaker pad has leg gussets to help contain poo. Hopefully, this can prevent poo from getting onto the diaper shell. I’d only know if this is effective when baby #2 arrives.

(e) Quality: ★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. After many washings over 3 months, the diaper still looks and performs as good as new. I’m not sure how the Hook and Loop closures would hold up over a longer time though.

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Currently, the retail prices for GroVia products fall over a big range, depending on where you shop at.

At Mummy Knows Best Shop, each GroVia Diaper Shell Set retails at SGD45.90. Additional Organic Cotton Soaker Pads are at SGD32.90 for 2 pieces. Package discounts of up to 20% available. In the U.S., the retail price is much lower at USD16.95.

With an AI2 system, it’s most economical to get a big stash of soakers and boosters to reuse with several shells.

Personally, I still prefer pocket diapers, because I like to adjust absorbency easily by mixing and matching different inserts. As always, there’s no perfect cloth diaper, just what suits your family’s preferences best.

GroVia AI2 Hybrid Cloth Diaper is a good choice for mums who like the AI2 system and want organic fabric next to baby’s skin.

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Updated Review (Tried on Newborn Baby)

Baby Jae has been trying out GroVia AI2 over the past 1+ month.

The trim cutting fits him very well.
Aplix tabs give a good fit for newborns and are WAY easier than snaps to put on a screamy newborn.
The washable soaker is able to catch runny breastfed poo. Sometimes, the diaper shell may get dirty, which means it can’t be reused. Overall, no leak for pee and poo.
The disposable GroBaby and GroVia Biosoakers only worked well for us in the first 3 to 4 weeks. Like his brother, Baby Jae’s also a heavy wetter. When he reached 4 weeks old, the biosoakers leak after 2 hours (about 2 pees). Once saturated, the sides tear and gel escaped.

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What we like about it:

Trim yet absorbent design
Very strong Hook and Loop closures
Waterproof backing and leg gussets on soaker pads keep diaper shell clean and dry for reusing
Gentle leg and back elastics that leave no red marks on chubby toddler
Wide range of choices: Hook and Loop, snap, colours and prints

What can be improved:

Use fabric that can be washed on hot, without voiding warranty
Is the loop on the laundry tab really necessary?

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Other GroVia products we’ve tried but not reviewed yet:

GroBaby BioSoakers (Size 2): This is the previous version of GroVia BioSoakers. Vee used them during a few trips and leaked through them after 1 to 2 hours. Worse, the thin seams tore when the diaper was saturated, and SAP gel beads leaked onto the diaper cover. Not for heavy wetters! Still, I’ve bought 2 boxes of Size 1 and 1 pack of the newer GroVia BioSoakers One-Size , for baby #2. Reasons: (1) newborn should be a light wetter (2) these are gentler on the skin and greener than regular disposable diapers (3) there was a good promotion.
GroVia BioLiners: Vee uses these at night to protect his diapers from diaper cream buildup. Each liner is wide enough to be folded and has stay-dry effect. I like them and have bought more for baby #2 as well.
GroVia All-in-One (AIO): Easily pulled up and down, great for day-time and outdoors potty-training. But 1 leg elastic has shot only after being gently used for a few months.
GroVia Cloth Wipes: I use these to wipe Vee’s face. Very soft and economical in a pack of 12. The first pack I bought in Year 2010 were made of 100% cotton, which is what I like for Vee’s sensitive face. But the recent 2 packs I bought says “88% polyester, 12% cotton” instead. I got a shock. Duh, please bring back 100% cotton!
GroVia Tiny Bubbles Detergent: I’ve started testing this for handwashed items, including cloth pantiliners. So far so good, gentle on our sensitive skin and no buildup. Would be testing it for regular laundry and cloth diapers.

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Win Your Own

To thank supporters of Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club, this Giveaway is EXCLUSIVE to Parents Club members. THREE (3) lucky members will win one GroVia Diaper Shell Set worth SGD45.90 each!

How to Participate

1. Join Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club here or below (existing members counted)

2. Fill in the online form HERE

Other Information

This Giveaway is open to members with a mailing address in Singapore.
If you’re a winner, the colour / design of your prize depends on the stock available.
It will run until 11 November 2011 (Friday) 2359hr (GMT +8).
The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Submit your entry now and good luck!
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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own GroVia and other Mummy and baby products, visit Mummy Knows Best Shop.

Special Treat: 20% discount on all GroVia regular-priced items
Discount Code: GRO112011
Validity Period: Until 30 November 2011

Live outside Asia? You may also check the prices at Amazon here:

GroVia Diaper Shell Set (Hook & Loop)*
GroVia Diaper Shell Set (Snap)*
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P.S. Read more on cloth diapering here.

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Disclosure: I received a GroVia Diaper Shell Set from Mummy Knows Best Shop for review.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: GroVia All-in-Two Hybrid Cloth Diapers [Giveaway #21]. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Review: Four Cow Farm Baby Wash & Calendula Remedy [Giveaway #20]

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:00:46 +0000

As you may already know, Vee and I have eczema, so I’m always looking out for high quality natural / organic skincare products that would soothe our sensitive skin. And I’m thankful to review the luxurious Baby Wash and Calendula Remedy provided by Four Cow Farm.

About Four Cow Farm

At Four Cow Farm, a Mother, Grandmother and former Midwife began making creams and balms which were as good and natural as possible for her two little grandchildren. The family decided it was time that other parents had access to baby creams and balms made from only pure, genuine, natural, naturally derived and organic ingredients and nothing else. No artificial additives or chemical hazards whatsoever.

The natural and organic baby skincare line is made out of their farm in Australia.

Our Detailed Review

(a) Four Cow Farm Baby Wash

About the Baby Wash:

Purpose: For babies as an all-over body wash that’s richly soothing and moisturising. Suitable for irritated skin, dry hair or scalp or those sensitive to chemicals. May be used on skin affected by hives or eczema.
Ingredients: Purified water, saponified 100% olea europaea (olive) oil, certified organic echinacea augustifolia extract, citric acid (from citrus fruit).

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: ★★★★★ This largest size (485ml) comes in a squirt bottle, which is very convenient during bath time. One squirt is enough to clean my entire body. (Vee loves squirting the bottle so much that I’ve to stop him from wasting the precious baby wash!)

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★★ I like that there are minimal ingredients in the baby wash — important for delicate baby skin and in ruling out skin allergies. Hubby and I are impressed by the super moisturising effect from the saponified 100% olive oil. The whole family has been using it as a body wash, and we feel absolutely pampered by it. Hard to swop back to our previous wash (a pure castile soap).

We also use it to wash Vee’s hair, which leaves it very moisturised. I’d definitely use it on baby #2 as well.

(c) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each 485ml bottle of Baby Wash retails at SGD32.90. As a comparison, it’s about the same price as Vee’s previous organic baby wash and double the price of our pure castile soap. Since it’s a lot more moisturising than what we’ve been using, the price is well justified.

A fabulous head-to-toe wash for babies and those with dry or sensitive skin.

—

What we like about it:

Very moisturising
Minimal ingredients, with only the bare essentials (less is more!)
Can be used from head to toe

What can be improved:

Offer the baby wash in large 1-litre bottles for bulk purchase savings

—

(b) Four Cow Farm Calendula Remedy

About the Calendula Remedy:

Purpose: For calming inflamed or irritated skin. Can be used on skin affected by eczema, hives, bites or contact dermatitis or for soothing minor cuts and scrapes.
Ingredients: Certified organic calendula officinalis (calendula) in olea europaea (olive) oil, beeswax, cetearyl alcohol (veg. fatty alcohol), d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E non-GMO), certified organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, certified organic chamaemelum anthemis nobile (roman chamomile) essential oil, parfum (natural preservative).
Note: As the Calendula Remedy is over 80% organic calendula-infused olive oil, it will turn a little liquid when it’s hot. To add to its itch-soothing abilities, you can keep it in the fridge.

Did it say “parfum”? Where there is a reference to ‘parfum’ in our ingredients lists, that actually refers to a 100% natural essential oils-based preservative (one of the most expensive in the market!) which we use for its naturalness, safety and efficacy. (Source: Four Cow Farm – Our Ingredients)

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: ★★★★★ The round jar is quite standard and suitable for such balms. I always wash my hands clean before scooping a little out. Or use a small spatula.

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★★ I was hit by a persistently dry and ITCHY eczema patch on my shin recently, so it was a great time to test out the Calendula Remedy. Every evening, I’d rub some of the balm onto the dry patch and the itch does go away with the rich moisturising effect. If the itch is really bad, I’d apply some in the morning as well.

After 2 months of using the balm, I’m glad it keeps the itch under control without me relying on steroidal creams, especially during pregnancy.

Vee saw me use the new balm and he wanted to try too. I applied a little on an eczema patch behind his neck. No adverse reaction, good. Since he doesn’t have dry, itchy skin, I didn’t let him continue using it.

(c) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each 100gm jar of Calendula Remedy retails at SGD28.90. In Singapore, it’s about 10-20% cheaper than a popular brand of calendula cream we’ve tried (but which contains methyparaben).

Great for soothing dry and itchy eczema-prone skin.

—

What we like about it:

Very moisturising, suitable for soothing dry and itchy skin

What can be improved:

Beeswax is added to make it a balm and to add to its emollient properties. If possible, use a non-animal related substitute?

—

Win Your Own

To thank supporters of Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club, this Giveaway is EXCLUSIVE to Parents Club members. TEN (10) lucky members (5 from Singapore and 5 from Malaysia) will win one Four Cow Farm Baby Kit worth SGD49.90 each!

(Note: Of the 4 items in the Baby Kit, we’ve only tried the Baby Wash.)

How to Participate

1. Join Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club here or below (existing members counted)

2. Fill in the online form HERE

Other Information

This Giveaway is open to subscribers with a mailing address in Singapore or Malaysia.
It will run until 28 October 2011 (Friday) 2359hr (GMT +8).
The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Submit your entry now and good luck!
—

Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Four Cow Farm natural baby products, visit Four Cow Farm.

If you’re from Singapore:

Special Treat: 10% discount AND free delivery for purchase over SGD35
Discount Code: MUMMYSFARM
Validity Period: Until 17 November 2011
How to Order: Visit Four Cow Farm Singapore Online Store (indicate discount code upon check-out)

If you’re from Malaysia:

Special Treat: 10% discount AND free delivery (within KL and PJ) for purchase over RM80
Discount Code: MUMMYSFARM
Validity Period: Until 17 November 2011
How to Order: Visit Four Cow Farm Promotions and email waiquan@goodnessme.biz (indicate discount code in email subject)

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P.S. Read more on 29 Tips to Fight Baby’s Eczema here.

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Disclosure: I received these items from Four Cow Farm for review — Baby Wash (485ml) and Calendula Remedy (100gm).

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Four Cow Farm Baby Wash & Calendula Remedy [Giveaway #20]. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

[Stylish Baby's Essentials] Cute bibs inspired by cloth diapers

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:00:06 +0000

Finally, I’ve found the perfect bib to contain Vee’s self-feeding mess. These are Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs, lovingly handmade by an Australian mum, Rachel.

Since Vee started eating solids at 6+ months old, I’ve made wearing a bib a MUST. We encourage him to self-feed, so at least the bib helps to minimise badly-stained clothes, shirt drenched in soup, and pieces of food dropped everywhere. Less frustration at the dining table makes me a happier Mum.

We’ve tried a rubbery bib with scoop and several other plastic bibs.

Problem #1: The inside of the scoop turns mouldy after a few weeks because the bibs are neither machine washable nor sunned regularly.
Problem #2: If the plastic bib comes with velcro fastening, Vee would rip them apart once he’s done eating, tearing the seams easily.

I’d enough of the conventional bibs and started searching for the perfect bib, if there’s such a thing. Since we use cloth diapers full-time, I suddenly thought it’d be wonderful if some Mummy made a bib with beautiful fabrics, water-resistant fleece backing and snaps.

So imagine my excitement when I found Loopy Loo’s through Google! (I bought 5 bibs and was given 1 to facilitate the publishing of this review.)

About Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs

These are the main features of the bib:

Front: Printed cotton
Back: Fleece
Closures: 2 snaps behind neck, 2 snaps at lower part of bib to form a scoop
Country of origin: Handmade by a mum, Rachel, in Australia

Interesting, Rachel was a full-time cloth diaper user with her last baby. That’s what inspired her to use printed cotton and stay-dry fleece on the bibs!

First Impressions

I was very excited when the mail arrived because I’ve chosen prints from Vee’s favourite books such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Cat in the Hat. The bibs look as good as they do online.

Here are all the 6 lovely designs:

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Laundry: ★★★★ The bibs are easily washable by hand or machine. If Vee is eating something that would stain easily (e.g. pasta with tomato sauce), I grab a dark-coloured print. (The black doughnut print is virtually stain-proof!) If a light-coloured bib is stained, I’d rinse it after the meal, hang dry, then machine wash it the next morning.

Tip: There was a period when I did laundry every 2 days and sometimes left damp bibs in a wet bag. This led to mildew problem. To keep the bibs in tip-top condition, it’s best to air-dry them after every meal and wash by the next day.

(c) Ease of Use & Fit: ★★★★★ It’s easy to put the bib on — just snap the front buttons to form a scoop and snap the back buttons behind child’s neck. I love the snap button behind the neck, which means Vee can’t pull off the bib anymore.

Also, the soft fleece is very comfortable around Vee’s neck and doesn’t irritate his eczema spots like plastic does.

Once, I was eating cherries and didn’t want to stain my shirt. I actually managed to snap the the bib around my neck. Vee got hilarious looking at me. Haha!

(d) Performance: ★★★★ Vee eats 5 times a day, so he uses about 1 to 3 bibs daily, depending on how messy he gets.

The bib provides a wide coverage and the scoop manages to catch most messes. The fleece is indeed water-resistant and keeps Vee dry even when he’s dripping soup or milk.

The front snap buttons allow me to “open” up the bib to knock off solid food. For stickier mess, it’s quite easy to pick them up by hand or rub them off using a cloth wipe. No more food trapped in corners of a bib scoop.

The downside is Vee has learnt to unsnap the front buttons when he’s bored after a meal! So I’ve to remove the bib quickly before he does that.

(e) Quality: ★★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. We’ve used the bibs for more than 4 months and they still hold up well. Of course, the beautiful bibs attract quite a bit of attention from other mums!

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bib retails at AUD13. So far, these are the only such bibs I found. They’re made of good-quality cloth and reusable over many uses, so I concluded having a stash is worth the investment, just like cloth diapers.

We’re still loving the Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop bibs every day — our must-have during each meal for a sane Mum.

—

What we like about it:

Snap closure behind child’s neck, which he can’t remove
Wide range of attractive printed fabrics
Machine washable for easy cleaning
Comfortable fleece against child’s body, instead of plastic

What can be improved:

Make it a little longer for an older and taller toddler

—

Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs, visit Loopy Loo’s.

Special Treat: 20% discount on any order
Discount Code: LOOPY20
Validity Period: Until 25 December 2011

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P.S. Read more on baby feeding items here.

Sharing time: Does your baby have a bib or feeding item that you rave about? Feel free to share in the comments box.

—

Disclosure: I received 1 Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bib for review and paid for the other 5 bibs. Postage was waived.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: [Stylish Baby's Essentials] Cute bibs inspired by cloth diapers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Review: Remove stains & odour with Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:00:44 +0000

I’m ecstatic that the Nellie’s All-Natural Oxygen Brightener has successfully removed stubborn food stains from Vee’s shirt and banished odour from his cloth diaper inserts!

Trouble #1: Many months ago, Vee stained a branded polo T-shirt with probably pumpkin soup. I rubbed, soaked and washed it with Pureen H-A-D, didn’t work. Did the same with Nellie’s Laundry Soda, the stains remained. Urgh! The shirt had to be kept away for months.
Trouble #2: When Vee was day potty-trained and using only 2 to 3 cloth diapers a day, I changed my wash routine to once every 2 days (instead of daily). (That is, 1 day for clothes, 1 day for diapers.) Bad move! After several months, the inserts started to develop an odour. Help!

I looked for Abby of Moo Moo Kow to buy a tin of Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener and she generously sponsored me one for review.

About Nellie’s All-Natural Oxygen Brightener

These are the main features of the oxygen brightener:

Ingredients stated on package: Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Sulfate, Primary Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate
Size: Approximately 32 x 1 tablespoon portions
Country of origin: Made in the U.S.A.

First Impressions

After travelling all the way from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, the tin of Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener reached in good condition. A little bit of powder escaped from the tin, so it’d better to seal the tin with tape before delivery by mail.

I like that the tin states it’s colour safe, chlorine free, hypoallergenic and biodegradable. These meet the requirements for washing Vee’s clothes and cloth diaper items.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: ★★★★ The tin packaging is very sturdy. It’s a little stiff to open, no big issue as long as I’m careful. Nellie chose metal packaging because “iron and steel are the world’s most recycled materials, and among the easiest materials to reprocess”.

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★★

To tackle Trouble #1 (food stain): I added a little bit of the Oxygen Brightener to some water, rubbed the solution on the stains, and soaked the shirt for 1+ hour. (This is super kiasu instead of the recommended 1 to 5 minutes.) After soaking, I rubbed against the stains and washed the shirt. Tadaa… the stains were almost completely gone! See the pictures below:

To tackle Trouble #2 (odour on cloth diaper inserts): I used 1 teaspoon of the Oxygen Brightener plus the usual amount of detergent and ran a load of stinky inserts on a hot machine wash. The odour was gone except a little bit lingered on one stubborn piece!

For a second batch of stinky inserts, I tried something different — used 2 teaspoons of Oxygen Brightener, soaked for a few hours, rinsed, then ran the load on a hot machine wash with extra rinse. The inserts smelled clean again!

Both Vee and I have eczema and we’d no flare ups due to using Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener. Great that it’s effective yet gentle on our sensitive skin.

I’m a very satisfied Mummy and have since returned to daily laundry — wash clothes, towels and diapers together. Leaving diapers 2 days in the pail is too long for the humid environment at my place.

(c) Overall Value: ★★★ Each pack (about 32 x 1 tablespoon portions) retails at SGD33. (In Canada, the retail price is much lower at USD9.99.) After successfully tackling troubles #1 and #2, there’s still A LOT of the powder left. So 1 tin would last a long time.

Nellie’s All-Natural Oxygen Brightener effectively tackled stubborn food stains and odour, while being cloth diaper- friendly and gentle on our skin. I like it!

—

What we like about it:

Effectively removed food stains and odour from cloth diaper inserts, without chlorine
Biodegradable and recyclable packaging

What can be improved:

Seal the tin with tape before delivery by mail

—

Get Your Own

To get your own Nellie’s All-Natural detergent products and Moo Moo Kow cloth diapers, visit Moo Moo Kow. (Note: The discount code below doesn’t apply to the Oxygen Brightener because stocks are very limited.)

Special Treat: 20% discount on Nellie’s Laundry Soda (read review here); 10% on Moo Moo Kow cloth diapers (read review here)
Discount Code: MR20110922
Validity Period: Until 21 October 2011
How to Buy: Please email your order to info@moomookow.com and indicate the discount code above.

Live outside Singapore? You may also check the price at Amazon here: Nellie’s All-Natural Oxygen Brightener*

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Disclosure: I received a tin of Nellie’s All-Natural Oxygen Brightener for review and Moo Moo Kow is a banner ad sponsor at the time of writing.

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P.S. Catch up on all my articles on washing cloth diapers here.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Remove stains & odour with Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Review: SgBum Cloth Diapers [Giveaway #19]

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:00:05 +0000

Here comes the review of SgBum Cloth Diapers that were launched in 2010. Maria, Singapore-based designer and owner of SgBum, provided me with a range of her products to try out on Vee.

After several months of testing, I especially like the Grande Suede Cloth Diaper for its trim fit and functionality. The good news is that 3 of these diapers would be given away, so read on…

About SgBum Cloth Diapers

SgBum offers 3 types of pocket diapers. This is a summary of the main features:

	Grande Suede	Petite Suede	Naturelle Bamboo
Outer fabric	PUL (Polyurethane laminate)	PUL	TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane)
Inner fabric	Suede cloth	Suede cloth	Bamboo
Inserts	Microfibre (2 regular)	Microfibre (1 regular, 1 thinner)	Microfibre (1 regular, 1 shorter)
Closures	(a) 4 front snaps (1 row of 10 waist snaps) (b) Aplix	(a) 2 front snaps (1 row of 8 waist snaps) (b) Aplix	(a) 4 front snaps (1 row of 10 waist snaps) (b) Aplix
Rise	3×3 snap settings	3×3 snap settings	3×3 snap settings
Country of origin	Made in China	Made in China	Made in China

PUL is more commonly used than TPU on cloth diapers. SgBum’s brochure mentions that TPU is soft, elastic, and has good stain and abrasion resistance. The process of TPU lamination is low in toxicity and TPU will biodegrade in 4-5 years if it lands up in the landfill for composition one day.

As for manufacturing in China, I clarified with SgBum and got this reply, “Our mass production is done by established manufacturers in China who have many years of expertise in cloth diapers and believe in fair trade. This way, we ensure our products are manufactured ethically without compromising the quality.”

The diapers are available in a range of colours.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

This review covers:

1. Grande and Petite Suede Cloth Diapers

First Impressions

This is a rather frills-free two-size cloth diaper, suitable for mums new to cloth diapering.

I like suede cloth as an inner layer for newborns fussy with wetness, especially over longer hours.

(a) Prewash & Laundry: ★★★★★ I prewashed the pocket diapers and inserts by hand in warm water — no colour run even for the red diaper. The microfibre inserts started absorbing well from the start.

For normal laundry, I’ve been washing them on warm and sometimes on hot. It’s good that the PUL is made to withstand hot washes because I need that whenever Vee’s eczema and fungal infection flare up.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★ Hubby certainly prefers the Aplix version, while I’m fine with both. Since the diapers come in both versions, you can have your pick or have a mix.

(c) Fit / Trimness: ★★★★ SgBum Suede Cloth Diapers are designed for a trim fit. The original Petite Suede version has a relatively small cutting compared to other one-size diapers — good for getting newborns into a cloth diaper with adjustable rise. It also reduces bulk for petite babies and toddlers.

(I managed to squeeze chubby 13kg Vee into the Petite diaper for the photos below. He’s certainly too big for it!)

The newer Grande Suede version has a more generous cutting, yet the crotch width is narrow enough to provide a trim fit on Vee. This is why he uses it when wearing long pants outdoors. I like it, especially when red is his favourite colour!

Comparing Grande and Petite Suede diapers

The Petite Suede snap diapers come in a single row of snaps closure. For a slim and mobile baby in Petite Suede, there may be a wing droop issue, so just be aware of this. Otherwise, Petite Suede in Aplix is a safer choice.

As for Grande Suede snap, it has 2 rows of snaps closure. The cutting is similar to the Naturelle Bamboo Cloth Diaper reviewed below. We didn’t get a good fit with the 2 by 2 snaps design, so I’d certainly prefer the Aplix version. Oh, and the Aplix version allows overlapping flaps for the perfect waist fit, which you can’t get from the snap version.

The elastics at the back and thighs are sturdy yet gentle without leaving red marks. Vee has a big belly, so it’s good that the diaper rests nicely under his tummy.

Here’re his sexy bums…

In Grande Suede Cloth Diaper

In Petite Suede Cloth Diaper

(d) Performance: ★★★★ Since Vee is day potty-trained, I tested the diapers during his nap. They held up well with 2 regular microfibre inserts. Because he’s a heavy wetting tummy-sleeper, my top preference for his sleep time is still diapers with front elastics. So these diapers will get more use from baby #2 during the day.

(We didn’t get to test the diaper with poo.)

(e) Quality: ★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is generally good. The only flaw is a row of thread sewn too close to the edge of the front Aplix, which led to fraying after several washes. This could be easily mended though. Otherwise, the material has withstood a good number of washes.

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Grande Suede Cloth Diaper retails at SGD28 while the Petite Suede retails at SGD24. For a petite baby or toddler, the Petite Suede is indeed good value for money because other one size diapers of similar quality are priced around the Grande Suede.

—

What we like about it:

Aplix version gives a very snug and trim fit
PUL fabric able to withstand hot washes
Gentle leg and back elastics that leave no red marks on chubby toddler
Choice of Aplix or snap closures to suit different preferences
Option of a lower-priced petite-sized cloth diaper for smaller babies

What can be improved:

Sewing of Aplix tab should be further from edge, to prevent fraying
Include prints in future?

—

2. Naturelle Bamboo Cloth Diaper

First Impressions

The inner bamboo layer is super-duper soft and would be a luxury for any baby!

The leg gussets are designed to keep messes in. This reminds me of explosive breastfed-baby poo…

(a) Prewash & Laundry: ★★★★ I prewashed the Naturelle Bamboo Cloth Diaper and inserts by hand in warm water, and they started absorbing.

For normal laundry, the laundry tab says warm wash while the packaging says hot washes are fine. I haven’t used this diaper extensively, so am not sure if the waterproof TPU and bamboo layers can truly withstand hot washes.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★ The Aplix version would definitely be easier to use than the snaps.

(c) Fit / Trimness: ★★★ The 2 by 2 snaps closure at the waist didn’t work out for Vee’s shape. Somehow, the inserts would slip downwards from the front. Since he’s a tummy-sleeping boy (meaning very heavy front wetter), we can’t use this successfully for his naps.

The Aplix version which is similar to the Grande Suede reviewed above should fit him better.

The crotch width is slightly wider than the Grande Suede (perhaps due to the leg gussets?), so it’s puffier.

The elastics at the back and thighs are sturdy yet gentle without leaving red marks.

Here’re his pictures…

(d) Performance: ★★★★ The fit issue affected performance because we could only test it during naps and Vee would wet the front too much. If it were in Aplix, I’m rather confident it’d fit and perform better. Plus considering there’re leg gussets to contain messy poo, I’m still giving this 4 stars.

(We didn’t get to test the diaper with poo.)

The inner layer is bamboo, which would feel damp when pee-ed on, so this is more suitable as a day-time diaper. For use over long naps and overnight, I’d suggest adding a stay-dry microfleece liner.

(e) Quality: ★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. I’d need more usage and washings over the next baby to know the long-term quality.

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Naturelle Bamboo Cloth Diaper retails at SGD32. This is SGD4 more than the Grande Suede Cloth Diapers, likely due to the natural bamboo fabrics and extra materials from the leg gussets. Despite this, it’s still competitively-priced.

—

What we like about it:

Very soft bamboo inner layer for baby’s comfort
Gentle leg and back elastics that leave no red marks on chubby toddler
Leg gussets to keep messes in, especially for poopy breastfed-newborns
Choice of Aplix and snap closures to suit different preferences

What can be improved:

Reduce crotch width for a slimmer fit
Include prints in future?

—

3. Premium Diaper Inserts

SgBum also offers 2 types of premium diaper inserts:

Premium Diaper Insert: 35cm x 13cm (3 layers)
One-Size Premium Diaper Insert: 35cm x 30cm (2 layers that become 6 layers when tri-folded)

The materials used are 60% bamboo, 30% organic cotton and 10% Coolplus. (More information on Coolplus here.)

I found these inserts interesting because they’re different from all the others I’ve tried. Primarily, I use them as boosters behind regular microfibre inserts.

(a) Prewash & Laundry: ★★★★★ I’ve been using them regularly, washed them on hot and they hold up well.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★★ Because these inserts are 90% made from bamboo and cotton, they can be laid right next to baby’s skin (unlike microfibre inserts).

(c) Trimness / Performance: ★★★★ These are trim and thirsty, perfect as boosters during naps and even overnight. I especially like the one-size insert that can be tri-folded to give 6 layers of high absorbency. The only downside is they feel rather stiff on their own (still softer than hemp though), another reason why I use them as boosters rather than as standalone inserts.

(d) Quality: ★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. After many washings, the surfaces have started pilling a little, not a big issue though.

(e) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Premium Diaper Insert retails at SGD9 while the One-Size version retails at SGD12, a reasonable range for such absorbent inserts. I’d certainly recommend the One-Size insert as a booster for super heavy wetters for naps and overnight.

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Win Your Own

To thank supporters of Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club, this Giveaway is EXCLUSIVE to Parents Club members. THREE (3) lucky members will win one SgBum Grande Suede Cloth Diaper worth SGD28 each!

How to Participate

1. Join Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club here or below (existing members counted)

2. Fill in the online form HERE

Other Information

This Giveaway is open to members with a mailing address in Singapore or West / East Malaysia.
If you’re a winner, the colour / design of your prize depends on the stock available.
It will run until 9 September 2011 (Friday) 2359hr (GMT +8).
The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Submit your entry now and good luck!

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own SgBum Cloth Diapers, visit SgBum. There’s a promotion going on until 31 August 2011. And it actually carries the Rockin’ Green Detergent, which I’ve heard so much about but yet to try!

You may also check the prices at Amazon here:

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P.S. Read more cloth diaper reviews here.

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Disclosure: I received these items from SgBum for review — Grande Suede Cloth Diaper, Petite Suede Cloth Diaper, Naturelle Bamboo Cloth Diaper, Diaper Cover, Premium Insert and One-Size Premium Insert.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: SgBum Cloth Diapers [Giveaway #19]. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

[Toys] More educational blocks for toddlers

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:00:38 +0000

My reviews of three more educational building blocks for toddlers are finally here after two HECTIC weeks. (We made a rushed trip to Singapore and then I spent most of last week keeping the family finances in order.) This is a follow-up of the previous comparison between LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks.

Read on for reviews of ELC Alphabet Blocks for little hands, HEROS Blocks from Germany, and unique Playskool Clipos.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

1. ELC Alphabet Blocks

These are the main features of the blocks:

Suitable age group: from 12 months old
Material: Forest-friendly wood
Country of origin: Made in China

(a) Packaging: ★★★ The 24 blocks come in a simple cardboard box. I don’t expect anything fanciful for these simple blocks. To store them, I simply place them in an Ikea TROFAST toy tray and slot it into our storage shelf system. Vee can easily pull out the tray of blocks when he wants to play with them. (I’d share more about our homeschooling organisation system when time permits.)

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★★ The blocks are colourful with clearly-printed alphabets in small caps and numbers. I like small letters because these form the bulk of the words we read and should be introduced to toddlers early on.

The size is just right for a toddler’s hands. Vee surprised me by stacking 4 blocks at 15 months old — a sudden change from knocking down towers previously. Since then, he went on to build higher towers until we finally built a mega one with all 24 blocks, even taller than him!

He enjoys turning the blocks to find familiar alphabets and numbers. His first obsession was alphabetical “o”.

We also sort the blocks according to colours, and he bugs me to build staircases with them.

(c) Quality: ★★★★★ I like the rounded corners and clear, bright colours. The wood and paint have been resilient to tumbling down onto the floor possibly hundreds of times.

Personally, I prefer wooden to plastic toys because they’re heavier, closer to nature and have a natural beauty appeal. Oh, and more recyclable.

(d) Overall Value: ★★★★ These blocks retail at RM69 in Malaysia (or £10.00 at ELC’s website). For the quality and frequent play we get, this is indeed good value for money.

2. HEROS Blocks

These are the main features of the blocks:

Suitable age group: Stated from 12 months old (With small pieces, I think from 2 years old is more appropriate.)
Material: Forest-friendly hardwood. Paints and dyes are water-soluble (water based) and is harmless if ingested. (Source)
Country of origin: Made in Germany

(a) Packaging: ★★★★ This is the special 60th anniversary bucket of 60 wooden blocks. The bucket is made of thick cardboard, with plastic rims and handle. So far, it’s still in good condition after Vee’s handling over 1+ year and makes tidying up after play very convenient.

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★ I bought these blocks around Vee’s first birthday and found the pieces (especially the flat rectangular ones) too small. Vee mouthed things till 1+ year old, so these MUST be played under close supervision. Or kept till the child is older, about 2-3 years old.

It’s tough for a young toddler to handle the small pieces for stacking. Vee started playing with them closer to his second birthday. He loves to use them as pretend food by pouring all the blocks into his all-time favourite ELC Sand and Water Play Table*, then cooking and serving them.

Currently, he’s more interested in playing with individual pieces than building meaningful structures. Of course, I encourage him by leading with some simple models. And lining up the pieces and knocking them down as dominoes.

These blocks are highly popular with his older cousins (above 4 years old) who immediately started building towers and structures with them. So I expect the playing lifespan to be rather long.

(c) Quality: ★★★★ I like the bright basic colours that are suitable for sorting exercises, permutation games and building attractive structures. The paint doesn’t go completely well over the wooden surface though.

Good thing is that the wood has withstood months of pouring, scooping and other rough handling by a toddler.

(d) Overall Value: ★★★ The bucket of 60 blocks retails at RM89.90, so initially I did an “inventory count” regularly to make sure all 60 pieces were kept after playing. (Of course, I’ve given up doing that.) Generally, HEROS toys come at a premium price in Malaysia.

Compared to the lower-priced PlanToys 50 Construction Set*, this HEROS set has all its pieces painted and comes with a bucket, perhaps explaining the price difference.

3. Playskool Clipo Figure Bucket

These are the main features of the toy:

Suitable age group: from 18 months old
Material: Made of plastic
Country of origin: Made in China

(a) Packaging: ★★★ The 50 pieces of Clipo pieces come in a plastic bucket with a clip-on cover and no handle. I like the convenience of a bucket to hold everything in after play.

However, the capacity is JUST NICE, so it’s often tough to close the cover after filling the bucket. Then I’ve to empty the pieces, place them in neatly and try closing it again. Duh… there should be at least 10-20% allowance so that a toddler can keep the pieces easily by himself.

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★ This is a special toy with pieces that clip to one another for creative combinations. There’s a good mix of different pieces in the set.

Initially, Vee used individual pieces for pretend play — such as the rectangular piece as a remote control, and the cube as an apple. He loves the boy and girl figures.

Then later on, he started making simple structures like a mobile phone or hairdryer by stacking the pieces up. His older cousins like this toy too and can make more fanciful things with them.

This is a good toy for building fine motor skills because the pieces are challenging to manipulate, definitely tougher than LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks.

Below, we’ve made a simple laptop, a burger and a bus…

(c) Quality: ★★★★★ I like the cheerful colours and unique texture that makes it stand out from Vee’s other blocks. The pieces are still in great condition after 1+ year.

(d) Overall Value: ★★★ The bucket of 50 Clipo pieces retails at RM89.90 (comparatively pricier than LEGO DUPLO!), so it’s better to wait for a sale before getting it. There’s a smaller bucket of 30 pieces, but I think blocks are more fun when there’re lots of pieces to play with.
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Toddler Activities

These are some of the activities we do with the blocks:

Create different sounds by banging different blocks together
Build a vertical tower with as many blocks as possible. Try with left then right hand (or vice versa).
Use 3 or more blocks to make a train. Encourage toddler to try doing the same.
Pretend play using blocks as cooking ingredients
Play guessing games: hide 1 block under a cloth. Then show toddler 2 blocks (1 which is identical to the hidden block). Ask toddler to guess the answer.
Play memory games: show 3 blocks in a particular sequence to toddler for 5-10 seconds. Cover up the pattern with a cloth. Give toddler 3 of the same blocks and ask him to try repeating the same pattern.
And let toddler lead by playing freely and creatively with the blocks

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Get Your Own

ELC Alphabet Blocks are available at ELC outlets and some Mothercare stores.
HEROS Blocks are available at Robinsons (Kuala Lumpur) and a toy store at Coronation Plaza (Singapore). They’re quite a rare find.
Playskool Clipo Figure Bucket is available at major departmental and toy stores.

You may also check the prices at Amazon here:

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P.S. Coming up soon: Review and giveaway of cloth diapers is back! Stay tuned.

Sharing time: Do you have creative play ideas using blocks? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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Disclosure: Mummy’s Reviews™ is a review site that receives compensation if readers make purchases from affiliate links (these are marked with an *). If we receive compensation from the companies whose products we review, this would be disclosed. These compensation help to maintain and grow Mummy’s Reviews™. We test each product thoroughly and give marks according to our experience with it. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: [Toys] More educational blocks for toddlers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

[Toys] Which is better: Lego Duplo or Mega Bloks?

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:00:14 +0000

LEGO and Mega Bloks are the two best-selling plastic interlocking blocks for children nowadays. When I was 5 years old, an aunt gave me my first small box of LEGO, which quickly became my favourite toy.

After LEGO’s monopoly in the market for so long, Mega Bloks arrived as a formidable competitor. So which should you buy for your precious toddler — LEGO DUPLO or Mega Bloks? Today’s article shall compare the two to see how they have met up to toddler Vee’s and my challenges.

Why Play with Blocks?

In my opinion, simple building blocks are among the best toys for a child because they:

encourage creative play — her imagination can run wild building things she thinks of, do role play, etc.
help her learn about colours, shapes, sizes, dimensions, balance and more
develop fine motor skills (especially pincer grasp) and strengthen the hand muscles when she fixes and takes the blocks apart — pre-requisite to learning how to write, and with neat handwriting
develop social skills — pour out a bucket of blocks for a group of children and they’d need to learn to share the pieces, while interacting with one another’s building project

That’s why when young children drop by our place, I’d definitely bring out lots of blocks. They’d usually get super-excited and start entertaining themselves.

About LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks

Currently, Vee has 4 sets of LEGO DUPLO, 1 set of Mega Bloks maxi and 1 set of Mega Bloks mini:

LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176
LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538
LEGO DUPLO Legoville Deluxe Train Set 5609
LEGO DUPLO Legoville Garbage Truck 5637
Mega Bloks Classic Bag (maxi) 80 pieces 8468
Mega Bloks (mini) Thomas at the Sodor Fair 10516

In case you think we’re that crazy over blocks, half of the above are gifts for the boy.

This is a quick comparison of the general features:

	Mega Bloks maxi	Mega Bloks mini	LEGO DUPLO
Material	Information inconclusive PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free (Source)	Information inconclusive PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free (Source)	Primarily ABS plastic Started phasing out PVC since 1986 (Source) PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free, Lead-Free and Fire Retardant-Free (Source)
Starting age	From 1 year old	From 3 years old	From 1.5 or 2 years old
Variety	Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets	Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets	Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets
Price of basic blocks	~USD20 for 80 pieces	~USD10 for 80 pieces	~USD20 for 80 pieces
Country of origin	Made in Montreal (Canada) and China	Made in Montreal (Canada) and China	Made in Denmark, Hungary, China and The Czech Republic

Notes:

LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks mini are of similar sizes and are compatible with each other.
The regular LEGO bricks and Mega Bloks micro are smaller and also compatible with each other, meant for older children above 4 years old. Both are not compared in this review.

Our Detailed Comparative Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: This compares the packaging for basic bricks only.

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi comes in a large zippered plastic bag. Though the bag is reusable, it needs adult help until the toddler can open and close the zip around the bag with ease.

Mega Bloks mini comes in a large zippered plastic bag or plastic bucket. We haven’t tried both because the box we have is a Thomas Train set, packaged in a cardboard box. Toddlers tend to rip such boxes apart easily, so I prefer more resilient packaging.

LEGO DUPLO comes in cardboard boxes or plastic buckets. I like the bucket, which is lasting and keeps the blocks well-organised. The 4 round knobs on the cover allow Vee to easily open and close it.

Overall, my favourite is LEGO DUPLO’s plastic bucket with handle.

(b) Size:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi pieces are HUGE. These are good for Vee from 1 to 2 years old when he was just learning to fit pieces together and fingers aren’t that strong.

From about 2 years old, he started playing with Mega Bloks mini and LEGO DUPLO, which are of similar sizes, and require stronger fingers.

Mega Bloks mini may contain small parts not meant for young toddlers still mouthing things, so are more suitable for 3 years old. Actually, I think they should remove these parts and make the mini suitable for 2 years old.

Though the LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538 states 2+ years old, it contains 4 small flowers, which are definitely not meant for toddlers mouthing things. You may want to keep these flowers away.

LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176 doesn’t contain the small flowers, so the labelled 1.5 years old is age-appropriate.

Here’s how the sizes compare:

(c) Fit:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi fit rather loosely together. This means a 1-year old can easily put the pieces together. But some pieces fit very loosely, so the structure would come apart when holding it, which would frustrate an older toddler. Perhaps that’s why Vee doesn’t play with the maxi blocks anymore after he started with the tighter-fitting DUPLOs and minis.

Mega Bloks mini fit tighter but don’t click together as perfectly as LEGO DUPLO. 1 small piece at the ferris wheel carriage keeps dropping off, which irritates me.

LEGO DUPLO has an almost-perfect fit. Vee’s structures hold up well, while he can take them apart rather easily too. The secret ingredient to this:

In the manufacture of LEGO bricks the machine tolerance is as small as 10 my (0.01 mm). — LEGO Group, 2010 (Source)

(d) Compatibility:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi is compatible with Mega Bloks mini and DUPLO. Just make sure it’s right on top.

Mega Bloks mini is compatible with the even smaller Mega Bloks micro. It’s also compatible with LEGO DUPLO and the regular LEGO pieces.

Essentially, this means an older child can play with a mixed buffet of Mega Bloks (maxi, mini and micro) and LEGO (DUPLO and regular). Though he might ignore the maxi ones like Vee because they do seem quite babyish.

Below shows Mega Bloks mini fitting well with LEGO DUPLO:

(e) Quality:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

I like the bright basic colours of the Mega Bloks maxi in the Classic Bag. They allow 1-year old Vee to differentiate and sort the colours easily. The quality of the blocks is also good.

Mega Bloks mini has fainter colours — not to my liking. The plastic feels more light-weight than LEGO DUPLO, and the Thomas Train set we have is certainly not as well-made.

LEGO DUPLO has bright solid colours; the pieces feel very sturdy with a highly-consistent quality. As a reference, my LEGO blocks are still in superb condition after 20+ years. They’ve been washed and Vee plays with them at granny’s place!

And I was the one who fell in love with the Deluxe Train Set 5609. Super thrilled when we finally bought it with a stack of credit card shopping vouchers that halved the price. The eye to detail in its engineering still wows me when Vee and I play with it.

(f) Overall Value:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★

This is a close fight.

Mega Bloks maxi has no competitor right now since LEGO has discontinued its QUATRO range in 2006. (FYI: The 75-piece LEGO QUATRO Bucket* has gained collector’s status, selling at a whooping USD499.90!) For a 1+ year old, maxi is a good choice.

Mega Bloks mini is less perfect than LEGO DUPLO. The lower price (almost 50%!) justifies the difference. If on a budget, this is suitable, but more for 3 years old because of potential loose pieces.

LEGO DUPLO is of top-notch quality, available at higher prices. If you want the quality at a budget, then go for the basic blocks in cardboard packaging. These are good from about 1.5 years old.

Overall, this are my preferred choices:

1 year old: Mega Bloks maxi
1.5 to 3 years old: LEGO DUPLO
3 years old: LEGO DUPLO then Mega Bloks mini

As a cost-conscious Mummy, I’d give cartoon character sets a miss (be it LEGO or Mega Bloks) because they cost significantly more with no added educational value.

Personally, I’m wary of buying very low-priced blocks from unknown manufacturers. I’ve seen wheels fall off from similar blocks of poorer quality, which could pose a choking risk. Also, these could contain harmful chemicals such as PVC and lead. Stay safe!

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Summary of Review:

	Mega Bloks maxi	Mega Bloks mini	LEGO DUPLO
What we like about it	Only oversized blocks for 1 year olds in today’s market Easy for young toddlers to handle	More affordable than LEGO DUPLO if you want a large number of basic blocks	Very good quality, likely to last till your grandchildren are born
What can be improved	Include more larger pieces in pack, reduce number of smallest piece	Better quality, especially no loose-fitting pieces. This would make it suitable for 2-year olds.	Remove small flowers that are a choking hazard for 2-year olds

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Toddler Activities

Download LEGO Duplo colouring and activity sheets here
Download Mega Bloks colouring pages here

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Get Your Own

LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks are available in major departmental and toy stores.

You may also check the prices at Amazon here (below are affiliate links*):

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P.S. Coming up next: More reviews on Vee’s blocks and building toys

Sharing time: What are your favourite blocks? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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Special Announcement: Singapore’s Takashimaya Baby Fair has started again from 27 Jul 2011! For details, read this updated baby fairs list (item number 6). Happy shopping!

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: [Toys] Which is better: Lego Duplo or Mega Bloks?. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.