Where have I been?!

Hey guys! I've had a whole lot going on & that's why such a delay in getting some posts posted!! Unfortunately..I've just started my 4th miscarriage..(which will bring me to a new review and possibly a giveaway very soon, but we'll talk about that later.) I have no idea what's wrong with my body & why I can't keep little babies fighting longer than a few weeks! I've just had a load of tests done in May and everything came back perfect, except for low...something, my brain is mush (low milk supply) & yes and I am still nursing my 20 month old daughter! :) We were just surprised with a pregnancy and almost as fast as the two blood tests came back that everything was OK, only a low level of progesterone which is easily fixed I'm told..the happiness ended. I started bleeding and had my levels checked again. All levels have gone down! Timing wasn't right this time, but either way, it's a sad ending!

It took my husband and I 18 months to get pregnant with our Daughter, Layla! I had three miscarriages before  becoming pregnant with her! Read our pregnancy blog HERE. She is our true miracle baby and has put into perspective just how lucky we are to be here and just how amazing it is to grow a healthy baby!

Ok, Ok! I'll stop and get on to the good stuff ;) 

Evolution ION review & GIVEAWAY

I am super excited to do this review & GIVEAWAY! 

Stacee from Evolution Diapers has been the biggest sweetheart to me! She has sent me 2 of her amazing diapers! One to review and One to give to a LUCKY reader! Stacee also did a super generous thing and donated some diapers and goodies to our GREAT CLOTH DIAPER CHANGE Event that was hosted by BASIC BABY SHOP in Syracuse,NY! 

On to the review!! :) 
First of all, I must say this is one of the BEST diapers I own...and I own a lot! The evolution ion is hands down our trimmest diaper. It's about as close to panties as we can get.. and hey, because of the side snaps, when it comes to potty training..you can actually use it like panties! That's pretty sweet, since my daughter is almost at that age! We can comfortably zipper and snap her jeans without her laying down to do so! :) 

This diaper is made with COOL MAX ( like the material sports gear is made from) to keep your babies genitals cool! This idea  has your baby boys future fertility in mind! This might sound silly, but to anybody who has struggled with fertility, (we have!) This is something that truly means a lot! 

The Ion is TOTALLY the most adjustable diaper I have ever owned & although A LOT of companies claim to fit from birth to potty, most of them don't! I have no doubt this diaper would fit from exactly, if not sooner than when they claim.."5 pounds!" potty training up to 40 pounds. The sizing is done with elastic on the inside for the waist and leg holes! It is a little confusing at first, and takes a few tries to get it right but once you get it where you need it to begin with, it isn't a problem! :) 

It comes with 1 insert! Either organic cotton or hemp! I love these inserts, they are SUPER SUPER trim but they are extremely absorbent! :) 


Overall, this diaper is amazing! I would recommend it to anybody! The Ion just has a little extra love from me for the thought on fertility <3 


One lucky reader is going to win an Evolution ion in Ferne with a Hemp insert!


Ways to enter.. 
MANDATORY  ENTRY
MUST BE A GFC FOLLOWER ( You need to do this in order for any extra entries to count )


Visit evolutiondiapers.com and tell me something else you would like to try +1
Go to EvolutionDiapers facebook and Thank her for the giveaway at Modern Mama Reviews +1
Like the NEW FACEBOOK page +2
Become a follower @EvolutionDiaper on twitter +1
Become a follower @KellyBratt on twitter +1
TWEET (once daily)  (return here and leave perma link) +2
" Wanna #win an @EvolutionDiaper from @KellyBratt ? Head on over to http://tinyurl.com/4xn7s5e for a chance!! "
Share on facebook (leave link) once daily. +1



Refer a friend to become a follower here and mention your name (add 2 entries)


Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry!


Giveaway will close on July 12th


GOODLUCK! :) 

Totally Felted Wool Dryer ball review & DISCOUNT! :)

Totally Felted!

In March I was lucky enough to find a wonderful WAHM to sponsor a review for wool dryer balls! Elicia Arwin from Totally Felted on Etsy sent me SIX of her beautiful, hand-made wool dryer balls! I was a little skeptical about trying wool balls just because of how pricey they can get & if they would actually cut out drying time. You know what? They actually DO! Now, convincing me that something works is a little tough, but it's my husband that needs major convincing.  He pretty much thinks everything is just me finding a reason to need to buy things. I don't know if he likes these because I didn't buy them or what. But, he came up from throwing a load of towels in right after realizing he was going to be late to school and came up saying " Kelly! These things DO WORK!"

I've got a pretty large collection of cloth diapers and sometimes tend to get lazy and wait 4 days between wash loads (making for an unusually long 90 min. drying time.) Adding the six balls to our cycle took it down to...are you ready? 65 minutes! For a normal towel cycle our dryer normally takes about an hour or so and these have cut it down to close to 45 minutes! Dryers do vary, and drying times will not be approximate for all dryers/wash loads! This is whats working for us and I'm could not be happier! We have eliminated all fabric softeners and dryer sheets from our routine and I must say that our clothes are just as soft and static free!

3 balls will greatly reduce static

4 balls will greatly reduce drying time

6 balls are INCREDIBLE and knock off a good 20-30 minutes

Now, I've been using these balls for a couple of months now and they are still in EXCELLENT shape, with very minor pilling! The pilling can be removed *see Elicia interview*

If you're on the fence about trying wool dryer balls, I say GO FOR IT. They can be a little pricey to get a set but will for sure pay for themselves in energy costs in NO TIME! If you're a tough cookie to convince as well, then THIS might help! Elicia is going to be offering my readers a couple pretty sweet deals. The first is for a B2G1 50%off & the second is super SWEET Buy5G1FREE! All you need to do is head over to her shop & Convo her with your desired order! She'll put together a reserve listing and VOILA! :) Totally get in on this deal! They're well worth it! Nothing is better than something that has been hand made, with amazing attention to detail & love! 

1- Why wool dryer balls and what got you started?
I started making the wool dryer balls as toys for my toddler and his friends. They make great toys for small children because they're colorful and soft. I knew they were supposed to be good for making dryer cycles more efficient and when I tried them out for this purpose and got great results, I began to market them in my etsy store as dryer balls. I love that they help to conserve resources and save us a little money on our electric bill!
2- Whats the best way to care for dryer balls and how long should they last?
Wool dryer balls should last for years if given a little care. To prevent them for getting moldy, make sure they dry out completely after using. They do get pilly but can be easily depilled with a razor or sweater de-piller. After much use they may need to be refelted and this can be easily done by slipping them into some panty hose, tying them off in individual sections, and running them through a mildly soapy hot wash and dry cycle. 
3- If this is your full-time job, how do you juggle being a WORK AT HOME MOM with 3 kids? So far, my felting business is a part-time job but it already requires planning and discipline to make it work with taking care of what will soon be three children. I set aside two mornings a week to felt, do research and attend to the more mundane aspects of running a business. When custom orders come in I often have to work in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed. 

4- Whats the very best part of running your own business? I love the creative aspect of running my own business. I'm constantly learning new techniques and creating new products and I love that I get to use my creativity to make money 

* my 20 month old daughter LOVES to play with these dryer balls and loves the adorable critters on them!

Elicia is a SWEETHEART & I will be a customer of hers anytime I need dryer balls and will share her with everybody I can! Thank you so much Elicia for letting me try and review you're dryer balls!

Mama Days giveaway!

Another giveaway for beautiful Jewelry! Mama Days is hosting a giveaway from Amy Cornwell designs!

The giveaway is super easy to enter and you've got a ton of ways to get multiple entries! They're giving one lucky person a 25.00 certificate to Amy Cornwell Designs store! EVERYTHING she's got is stunning! My favorite piece so far is.. ok.. I have a few

                  Milestone Necklace - Gold Filled or Sterling

Square Washer Mother's Necklace

These can be found on her website! Also..check out the GIVEAWAY at MAMA DAYS! 

GIVE. Jewelry GIVEaway ;)

GIVE. Jewelry is a WONDERFUL company doing amazing things for orphaned children in Bali. The idea is simple. They are selling hand crafted jewelry (the best kind! & each purchase, whether you choose a necklace or a bracelet or earrings one child is able to receive a weeks worth of nutritious meals! Now, tell me what isn't incredible about that?! 

Give. Jewelry has a beautiful selection of necklaces,bracelets & earrings! My absolute favorite is the Mother of pearl and abalone necklace! See it HERE! All the jewelry is on the beachy side..but I love that look so it totally won me over! I really like the Hawaiian hook necklaces as well! See those HERE

What GIVE. Jewelry is GIVE-ing away? Are you ready?...500.00 worth of jewelry!! It's easy to enter and you don't have to buy anything to qualify! Simply go to GIVE. Jewelry blog and follow the steps! You have 21 chances to enter & you can even use 3 of those once daily until the 26th of June! That gives you great odds to win! Bonus...it's got low entries!! So..Head on over to GIVE. Jewelry blog and ENTER to win!!  They're doing great things for hungry children!! 

GIVEAWAY at Six in the Nest!

Okay! So, I like entering giveaways too!! ;) 

And... Six in the Nest is having a absolutely awesomeee one RIGHT NOW! 

So go enter to win an itti bitti tutto and pack of ultimate cloth wipes!! :) 


She's also got one for 50.00 worth of "lice prevention" hair care products from zippity doos. My daughter (17 months,) hubby or I have never had lice, but like the NY lotto guy says "Hey, you never know!" hehe Go enter it!! 
Zippity Doos giveaway at Six in the nest

Charlie Banana Review sponsored by....Natures Premiere!

 Charlie Banana Review! 

Sponsored by.- Natures Premiere

I was recently given the opportunity to review a Charlie Banana sized pocket diaper. Thanks to Brooke at Natures Premiere Diaper Service! I am in L.O.V.E. with this diaper! I don't know if it would be "right" to compare this diaper but I feel like that's what I look for when looking for a review on ANYTHING. I like to know how you would compare it to a competitor. So.. I would say Charlie Banana is most like a Fuzzi bunz. I like fuzzi bunz diapers, they do the job. However, perfect fit medium fuzzi bunz tend to be a little wide in the crotch (on my daughter anyway.) Charlie Banana size medium is more narrow for a better fit ( again, on MY daughter. ) This is extremely important, since I have a chubby little lady. It's bad enough when her little thighs rub together, I don't need a baggy, wide cloth diaper rubbing her thighs raw too!! 

•  They come is super cute prints as well as 17 BRIGHT fun colors. 
• Bulk- If you're looking for a diaper bag diaper, this would not be my first choice..however if pocket diapers are in your diaper bag already, you'll want this diaper in there!! Trim fit under clothes? For a pocket diaper this fits perfectly under clothes..EVEN JEANS! :) 
• Another wonderful feature is the pocket opening is in the front and has a flap to prevent the super absorbent insert from sliding out and getting clothes or baby damp!
• Thick GENTLE elastic in the back made for zero red marks on Layla's chubby waist! 
•  I was super excited to try this diaper and couldn't wait a few days for diaper laundry so I gave it a test run before actually washing & even skipping the first wash, the insert was amazingly absorbent! In the end.. Charlie Banana washed WONDERFULLY & that's whats important! :) 

Natures Premiere is giving away 5 Charlie Bananas when they reach 350 fans! Go "like" her on Facebook! Like" her HERE!" :)

A little about our sponsor! 

Natures Premiere was born when a husband and wife duo out of NY owned a laundry business. After having their first baby, the couple ventured into cloth diapering services since both are earth friendly and wanted to spread the word in their area about cloth diapers. Natures Premiere is a family owned business..with help from workers on the diaper service end. 


A WONDERFUL company! Brooke is so sweet & seems to have some pretty awesome flash sales! They also offer FREE SHIPPING on any size order! 


Diaper Service areas include: All of Suffolk and Nassau County Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan New York.

Brooke's favorite cloth diaper to use is a basic prefold since there are so many different ways to use it and it lasts forever!

Thank you Brooke and Natures Premiere Diaper Service for sponsoring this review! I love love love my Layla's Charlie Banana!