Candies by Bubblebubs – Giveaway & Review

by Natalie on May 17, 2012 · 27 comments

When I visited Nest Nappies just before Easter, Elizabeth gave me a Candies from Bubblebubs to trial on my daughter. It’s been in nearly every wash since then, and has proven to be a highly absorbent, trim-fitting and deliciously fluffy addition to our stash.

Bubblebubs are a Brisbane based company, run by Vicki, the founder and owner, who began Bubblebubs over 7 years ago. Candies MCN’s are one sized All In Two’s (Ai2) that are designed to fit from approximately 4kgs to 15kgs. The shell of the Candies is custom milled minky, laminated with PUL, with an  inner layer of suedecloth. The boosters are super absorbent bamboo fleece, and come as a snap-in 2 layer trifold and an additional optional 3 layer lay-in booster. The trifold has a suedecloth panel, and so depending which booster you lay on top, you can choose to have a stay-dry layer against the skin, or the natural bamboo fibre.

Coming into winter, increased drying times are on many people’s minds, and it’s great to know that extra boosters can be purchased, allowing the outer shell of the nappy to be reused after airing between nappy changes. Being an AI2, the Candies shell can also be used as a cover over fitted nappies (even newborn ones so you can begin using this nappy from birth) or any other booster or prefold you wish. Considering the impressive absorbency of the bamboo boosters, the drying time is quite good, as the boosters unfold for line-drying.

I was intrigued by the 2 row side snaps on the Bubblebubs Candies. I have had side-snapping nappies before, but they also had the front snaps to allow the rise to be reduced for newborns, and extended as the baby grows. I tried this nappy on a friend’s little baby, and could see how the side snaps allow the leg and waist to be fitted on even the smallest of babies. The side-snapping configuration also means that there is no wing droop in this nappy. The fit is wonderful on my 12+kg daughter, with the snaps allowing us to adjust the legs separately to the waist, giving a snug fit which avoids leaks, while not being too tight or rubbing anywhere.

I’m a big fan of one-size nappies, as they save money with the one nappy fitting from birth. AI2′s also reduce the quantity of nappies in the wash, as there’s multiple inserts used for the one shell each day. I might just have to buy some more boosters to get the most out of this nappy next time I’m in Brisbane.. or tempted to go online shopping! For readers who haven’t had the opportunity to test out this great nappy before, Nest Nappies currently has a phone order special which gives you the chance to buy your first Candies nappy for the special price of $25 (offer limited to 1 per customer). Ring (07) 3217 5200 to place your order for your Candies and whatever else you’d like from the online store.

In conjunction with Bubblebubs, Nest Nappies is also giving one lucky reader the chance to win their very own Candies by Bubblebubs, worth $34.95. To enter the giveaway, visit the Nest Nappies webstore and Bubblebubs and comment below with your favourite ‘flavour’ (colour) from the online shop. Get extra entries for doing any of the following and leaving a comment to let us know what you’ve done (one for each entry please):

Please take the time to read the disclaimer page before entering our giveaways. This competition will run until midnight on the 17th June and is open to Australian residents only. Good Luck!

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Nest Nappies – a bricks and mortar nappy store

by Natalie on May 9, 2012 · 0 comments

Just before Easter, I went to Brisbane for a couple of nights to catch up with my family. I think it must be a sign of my increasing age, combined with the change of interests that motherhood has brought about, which prompted me to choose to skip my usual trip to the bright lights of Chermside shopping centre, and instead have a morning wandering around the unique boutiques, galleries and cafes on the terraces of the inner-west suburb of Paddington.

Nestled amongst the leafy green trees on the corner of Latrobe Terrace and Cochrane Streets is Brisbane’s only bricks & mortar, real life cloth nappy store, Nest Nappies. Entry is 10metres down the hill on Cochrane St, with parking  in both the driveway and on the street. We were having a family girls’ morning out, and my daughter played happily with her Nana in the big courtyard outside, having a teaparty in the cubby house and collecting fallen macadamias. My sister and mother then headed back up to other shops, leaving me to peruse the range and chat at my leisure.

I met Elizabeth, who owns Nest Nappies along with her husband, Wally, on the day I visited. Elizabeth is a wealth of knowledge on all things cloth, and can be contacted by email at  info@nestnappies.com.au or by phone on 07 3217 5200 to answer any questions you may have, no matter what stage of your cloth nappy journey you may be on. Nest Nappies runs regular workshops, where you can get hands on, face to face advice about cloth nappies. Upcoming workshops include topics such as baby-wearing, hypno-birthing and breast-feeding. There is also a great section on their website, with hints and tips, including details on creating a gift registry for family and friends to help you begin your nappy collection, which I think is a great idea for a new mum!

Browsing the shelves, I realised that it has been my privilege to try a great many different styles and brands on cloth nappies, TotsBots, Grovia, Cushie Tushies, Pop-ins and Seedling nappies.  I enjoyed looking at MCN’s that I don’t own and have only read about, including Designer Bums, Pikapu and Thirsties. Elizabeth gave me a Candies by Bubblebubs to trial, keep an eye out for a review and giveaway post coming soon!

Nest are also one of the 4 Australian stockists to be awarded the early release of the new Pop-in prints. Read their latest newsletter for details about the release, and a chance to win one of the new prints by participating in a Cloth Nappy Week advocacy event by sharing a picture of your child in cloth, and a line or two about why you love cloth, or encouraging words for those considering making the change.

As well as MCN’s and nappy accessories, including wipes and wetbags, Nest Nappies also stocks a variety of slings and carriers (my love of which is equal to that of cloth nappies!), mama cloth, amber and some gorgeous baby toys. My purchase of the morning was a beautiful wetbag that is shaped like a shoulder bag, which we have used every time we’ve gone out since!

I think it is a reflection on the amount of time that I spend online, that I realised that I am a much better shopper online now than in person. I tend to get overwhelmed with the options in a store now, and often don’t end up buying anything as I can’t compare prices like I can online. I love being able to take my time perusing a webpage, carefully selecting products to add to my basket, and reviewing the total before hitting ‘purchase’. Luckily Nest Nappies also operates a webstore which sells the same range that they have instore. Nest Nappies recognises that for many people, that online shopping is “the most convenient and time efficient way to shop, research and compare prices”.

I had been planning a visit to Nest Nappies for over a year now, but hadn’t made it in until a few weeks ago. There were a number of other note-worthy shops very close by include Cocoon Petite Living, and Biome, one of a group of shops which unite under the banner of The Green Precinct. My digestive system enjoyed the lunch and snack we had while out too! Now that I’ve worked out how easy it is to find Latrobe Terrace from the Mt Coot-tha roundabout as I arrive from the west.. I think it might be a regular destination for me!

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Giveaway & Review – Coco Baby OSFM Pocket Nappies

1 May 2012 Giveaways

My first reaction when I opened the package which arrived in the mail from Coco Baby was ‘Wow!’ I received a Designer – Black Floral OSFM Pocket nappy, with a bamboo and microfibre insert which I’ve been trialling on my 16mo daughter. This nappy has a beautiful printed cotton shell, which is laminated on the inside with [...]

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Cushie Tushies Review – the new hybrid Chameleon

24 April 2012 AI2

My daughter loves minky nappies. If I let her choose a nappy from the shelf, she’ll reach for the Cushie Tushie Giraffe or High Tea prints. She’ll walk around hugging the nappy and will even put the minky to her cheek. When we received the new Cushie Tushies Chameleon to review, she fell in love [...]

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Bambooty Review – Easy One Size

19 April 2012 AIO

I’ve been trialling the Bambooty Easy One Size nappy over the last few weeks, and have been very impressed with a number of its features. It has become a nappy that I regularly reach for, and is fast becoming a favourite in our stash. I recently reviewed the Easy Peasy Nappy, also by Bambooty, and while I [...]

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What’s new – including full time MCN’s at last!

12 April 2012 Natalie's Stash

What’s happening in your world of fluff at the moment? I’m writing a number of reviews for some gorgeous new nappies we’re trialling,  but I thought I’d update you on what we’re up to, to make the reviews more meaningful for you. My daughter is now 16 months old, and it’s incredible how fast this [...]

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