Thanks to Mom Central and Huggies, I was given the opportunity to test two new Huggies products on my 15-month-old diaper-annihilator, Isaac.  Huggies is my go-to brand for diapers because they fit so well and seem to keep Isaac dryer for longer than other brands.  Now Huggies has improved their diapers and wipes even more with the Snug & Dry Diapers and Simply Clean Wipes!

Here’s what Huggies has to say about their new diapers and wipes:

Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers:  These diapers come with the trusted anti-leakage Leak-Lock System, which is now even more absorbent.  They also have a SnugFit waistband, Grip Tabs for a secure fit, stopping guards around the waist and legs to help keep wetness in, and absorb-away layers and a long-lasting core to lock in wetness.

Huggies Simply Clean Wipes:  These wipes are fragrance-free and alcohol-free, and are good for faces, hands, and bottoms.

The Baby Bottom Test:

Introducing Isaac, who became our cheerful test subject.  These diapers are as snug, secure, and comfy as they have always been fit-wise.  They also feature a cute Mickey Mouse design.

The real test was, of course, the overnight test.  Isaac is almost constantly drinking either milk, water, or juice, so he is a diaper super-soaker overnight.  Having good diapers for nighttime is essential for us!  So I put a new Snug & Dry diaper on before bed, and the next morning he had gone both poo and pee (I was trying to be more delicate about how to say that but really there’s nothing delicate about a dirty diaper).  Right away I noticed was that it didn’t even look like he had gone – his diaper was a bit saggy at the very bottom, but the waistband and everywhere around his upper legs was completely dry!  Surprising because he had gone a lot and the diaper had absorbed it all.  I’m sure this makes it much more comfortable for him, not having to wake up with a tight, soaked diaper.

This is one impressed mommy, let me tell you.  I remember being so frustrated with Emma’s overnight diapers because her whole bed would be soaked in the morning from leaking diapers.  I will definitely be buying these diapers in the future!

Now let me tell you about the Huggies Simply Clean Wipes.  I actually don’t usually buy brand-name wipes in an attempt to save money, but after trying these wipes I’m not sure I’m actually saving money by using the cheaper wipes.  The Simply Clean wipes are thicker and more textured than the ones I use regularly and I definitely used less wipes than I usually do to clean a dirty bottom.  They got him cleaner faster, something I didn’t realize was possible.  That’s right, my regular cheap wipes are a waste of money!  That’s not easy to say, believe me.  So yes, I’m sold on the Huggies wipes, folks.

Visit Huggies Online:

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Are you feeling inspired to put these products to the test yourself?

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Huggies. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating

Emma is totally horse-crazy.  I’m not sure where it originated, though I suppose I may have encouraged it… a bit.  ;-)  I had a horse as a teen so I think they’re the coolest animals on earth.  But Emma developed a natural love of them, and has been collecting everything horse-related for about a year now.  She even has posters on the wall!

Since her recent move to a “big girl bed”, we’ve been on the lookout for a cute bedding set that she would like.  Enter Beyond Bedding, where you’ll find high-quality bedding sets at affordable prices.   I let Emma look through their children’s bedding sets and she immediately honed in on the Pretty Pony Horse Bedding Set.  And how could she resist?

This was an early birthday present for Emma, and her reaction didn’t disappoint – she loved the ponies immediately and wanted me to wash everything and put it on her bed right away.  I was impressed by how soft the comforter and sham are, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it washed up.  The materials are nice quality, too.  I was happy with it, and think it’s well worth the price tag!

The embroidered ponies are microsuede, giving Emma the enjoyment of petting her soft “horsies”.   We received the twin set and it comes with a comforter, standard sham, the bedskirt, and 1 window valance.  Everything is really cute and it makes me want to get more pieces so Emma’s entire room can coordinate.  Currently you can get the window panel curtains in a set of two, the wall border, wall decal stickers and wall hangings, and even a shower curtain and bath towels for your child’s bathroom to coordinate!   The twin-sized Pretty Pony Bedding set is $99.99, and you can also buy this theme in crib and toddler bed sizes.

I have to mention that Beyond Bedding has a “make your own custom bedding” option, and it is SO cool!  You can completely design your own bedding set from crib to queen sizes, and there are a lot of attractive colors and patterns to choose from.  You’ve got to try it, just for fun.  Here’s one I designed:

Connect With Beyond Bedding

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I received a Pretty Pony bedding set free of charge so that I could share my thoughts on it with you.  I always give my honest opinion uninfluenced by the company or free product provided.  If my opinion changes over time (as does sometimes happen), I will edit this post with an update. 

A few months ago, I was being repeatedly plagued awakened by my 3-year-old daughter who would come bounding into my bedroom at unholy hours of the morning ready for the day.  This of course woke her 1-year-old brother (who still resides in my room at night).  Let the weeping and gnashing of teeth begin.  Anyone who has had children awaken at night knows that it can be hard to soothe everyone back to sleep – my son crying because he was so rudely awakened and my daughter upset because she was all ready for morning and doesn’t want to go back to bed.  Not fun.

I tried explaining to Emma that when it is dark outside it’s time to sleep (and stay in bed), and when it’s light she can get up… but that brought complications, too.  There are times that it’s light outside but still not time to get up.  I could just see the wheels turning in her head, “But what degree of lightness outside, mommy?”.

I tried telling her to stay in bed until I came to get her but that was hit and miss, and it didn’t give her any sense of independence.  I wanted it to be clear to her when she could get up and when she should stay in bed.

I’m a visual person, so I started looking around for something that would give her visual cues.  My online search brought me to sleep training clocks with lit-up images indicating awake time and sleep time.  I found a few different types, but my favorite by far both due to very positive user reviews and cute wake/sleep graphics, is the Kid’Sleep Clock.

Here’s what you get when you order the Kid’Sleep Classic Blue Clock:

The clock, two plastic displays (one is a scene used as a nightlight only), and the wall plug-in.

The Kid’Sleep Clock can be used as a regular clock, a nightlight, a wake-up indicator for both nighttime and naptime, and an alarm clock (wakes with birdsong).  Figuring out how to set it up was fairly easy to figure out and didn’t take too long at all. You just move the switch to whichever mode you choose (alarm, wake-up indicator, or nightlight only), then set the clock.

I’m using it as a wake-up indicator only right now so I just set it like I would a normal alarm clock, with the wake-up time at 7:30 a.m.  No alarm goes off – it just moves from sleeping bunny to backpack bunny at that time every morning.

I love how bright and clear the picture is!  This is the highest brightness setting.

Quick Pros/Cons Overview…

Pros:
Can be used as an alarm clock, wake-up time indicator, or nightlight.
The display is very large and they are easy to interchange.
No batteries needed.
There are three brightness settings.

Cons:
When you unplug it, it all resets (like a normal alarm clock).
The digital clock is so small you can’t see it unless you’re very close, so it’ not really a great use as a regular clock.

Our Result:

So I know the big question is how did Emma respond to it?  Well, first of all Emma loves the little bunny character.  She gets a kick out of checking on him throughout the day and as bedtime draws near to see what he is doing at that time, and has been very good about staying in bed (or her room) when he is in his bed.  Am I getting more sleep?  Most definitely!  It really has improved her morning mood, too – no more uncertainty as to my reaction when she comes to get me out of bed.  She just tells me, “Mommy, the bunny is awake!”.   I can’t say that every single morning Emma comes into my room to get me after 7:30, but there has been a significant improvement and she doesn’t wake me at 3 or 4 in the morning wondering if it’s time to get up anymore.  It has been a big help – I’m so glad we have it!

Want It?

You can buy the Kid’Sleep Classic Clock in pink or blue for $38.87 at Amazon.com.   There is also a smaller travel version that has no cords but takes batteries called the Kid’Sleep Globetrotter.

Disclosure: I received a Kid’Sleep clock free of charge so that I could share my thoughts on it with you.  I always give my honest opinion uninfluenced by the company or free product provided.  If my opinion changes over time (as does sometimes happen), I will edit this post with the update.  This post is 100% my own words. :)