Cloth Diaper Geek

New Product: Eco-Bottom Biodegradable Liners from Eco Sprout Soap!

2012-03-08T12:38:00.000-05:00

Love biodegradable liners? Then you've got to check out the new Eco-Bottom Liners from Eco Sprout Soap!

Here's what Eco Sprout Soap has to say about this new product!

"Not just another diaper liner! Our Eco-Bottom Liners are made from Bamboo fibers! Our diaper liners make clean-up easy! No more dunking diapers in the toilet to rinse. To use, simply place one liner directly on top of your diaper. When changing, remove the liner and toss the solids into the toilet or trash to discard. They are ultra soft and offer a perfect fit for most cloth diapers with no folding or tucking necessary."

Made from renewable Bamboo, Eco-Bottom liners are:

Biodegradable
Non-Toxic
Fragrance Free
Dye Free
Chlorine Free
Flushable*
Breatheable
100 tear-off sheets

Eco-Bottom Liners are available for purchase at Eco Sprout Soap or any of their fine cloth diaper retailers.

How to tell if your cloth diapers PUL is defective or on it's way OUT!

2012-03-08T09:39:00.001-05:00

I had the misfortune of the PUL (PolyUrethane Laminate) on my pocket diapers coming detached from the fabric. I did all the right things when washing my diapers though – kept the water temperature below 100* F, only dried the covers on one low heat cycle and occasionally I did one cycle on high heat b/c it helps seal the PUL. Still as I was stuffing the inserts one day I felt the PUL start to stick to my wedding ring. I turned the pocket inside and out and this is what I found.

Noticing the problem with the PUL on that one diaper prompted me to look at the other diapers in my stash. Sadly, six of my diapers were starting to detach. I did contact the retailer I purchased the diapers from and she’s replacing the defective diapers. Thank goodness for excellent customer service. I thought that I’d show you all what my diapers looked like so you can make sure your PUL doesn’t have the same problem. One thing that I noticed is that the inside of my diapers when I was stuffing them felt very soft, almost too soft. It was the PUL separating that was soft. See how the PUL is loose?

You want for the PUL on your diapers to be attached so well that you cannot tell it’s not part of the cover. It should be one entity, the same. Just like this picture below.

Hopefully this post sheds some light on what good and bad PUL look like and how to tell if you should contact the retailer or manufacturer of your diapers.

So, have you experienced issues with any of your cloth diapers PUL?

Contributed by Bert, The First Time Mom

Winners of the #ButtercupBaby Twitter Party are...

2012-03-07T15:20:00.002-05:00

Thank you all so much for attending last night's #ButtercupBaby Twitter Party! We ended up with approximately 319 RSVP's and over 11,000 entries. Those stats are seriously impressive considering Buttercup-Baby.com was only started December 1, 2011!

Thank you to all the sponsors. Without them these twitter parties would have much less prizes and much less interaction. Thank you and I look forward to working with you all again really soon! (wink, wink)

So who were the official winners? Let's take a look below!

(1) Apple Cheeks Reusable Swim Diaper - Luke Gilbertson, @lukegilbee
(1) Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm and Nipple Butter - Rebecca Anthony, @jewellee19
(1) GroVia OS AIO (Cosmos), Tiny Bubbles Sample & Sample BioWipes - Anthony n Becca Henson, @dreammoonbeams
(1) 2 pack of Rumparooz Onesize Diapers - Shannon Stubbs, @summers1405
(1) Copy of Kelly Wels Changing Diapers book - Cheri Davenport, @cherrycouch
(1) Copy of Kelly Wels Changing Diapers book - Melissa Hunter, @melissastamps
(1) Bag of Ruby Moon Laundry Detergent - Amanda Hassenstab, @BoulderMoms
(1) Gift Pack from Eyla's Imports including Sweet Pea OS Diaper, Organic Teething Bon Bon, Momma-Nature Baby Body Lotion - Lisa Kuhl, @secretlifeSAHM
(1) 48oz Bag of Eco Sprout Soap - Stephanie Kandray, @stephkandray
(1) Palm Tree OS Diaper Cover from Knickernappies - Kathryn Swift, @kathrynswift
(1) Fuzzi Bunz Elite Diaper from Zephyr Hill Blog - Jennifer Herford, @JHollyHock
(1) Bitti Tutto Cloth Diaper and Wetbag from Itti Bitti - Jessi GreenMamaJama, @jdm2551
(1) Drool Monkey Organic Teething Lovey from Drool Monkey Organics - Amy Menzies, @mommamenz

GRAND PRIZE WINNER, Happy Heinys Cloth Diaper Starter Kit from Buttercup-Baby.com - Kelly Shelton, @kellyfshelton

THANK YOU all so so much! Please keep attending and I assure you, you will win some time so don't get discouraged if you don't see your name on the list above.

Please email buttercupbabysales(at)gmail.com with your shipping address and color/size preferences if applicable.

Enter to win a Rumparooz OS Diaper from The Green Nursery! Ends 03-18-12

2012-03-06T09:56:00.000-05:00

Great giveaway for you from The Green Nursery! They're offering Cloth Diaper Geek Fans a chance to win a Rumparooz OS Cloth Diaper in the color and closure style of their choice!

The Rumparooz Onesize Cloth Diaper has 4 sizes which are adjustable by the rise snaps on the front of the diaper. The Rumparooz is the first onesize diaper that starts fitting at 6 lbs, no more waiting for your newborn to put on a few pounds before wearing cloth diapers!

Available in both Snap and Aplix (Velcro) closure, the Rumparooz are a pocket diaper system. Each diaper comes with a "6•r soaker" which has 6 absorbency and size setting to best customize the fit and function of the Rumparooz for your child. The 6•r soaker is inserted in the pocket opening on the inside of the Rumparooz to make the diaper absorbent. The inside of the diaper, which lies against baby's skin, is a scrumptiously soft microchamois which is 100% hypo-allergenic and no-pill.

So are you ready to win a Rumparooz Diaper from The Green Nursery? Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway is open to participants in the USA. Winners entries will be verified and winner has 7 days to claim their prize.

Click >MORE< to view the Rafflecopter below and enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CD Bloggers share their favorite cloth diaper detergents on Babble.com!

2012-02-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to get a little shout-out on Babble.com today! Babble blogger Danielle Elwood interviewed TEN Cloth Diapering bloggers and shared the top two favorite detergents for each!

You can read the article in it's entirety here Fight the Funk! 10 Bloggers Dish their Favorite Detergents for Washing Cloth Diapers!

My personal favorites and two I recommend the most are Eco Sprout Soap and Charlies Soap!

Make sure you check out this great post and comment with what your two favorite cloth diaper laundry detergents are!

Winner of The BALM Giveaway is...Misty C!

2012-02-20T14:58:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Misty C, the lucky winner of my BALM Giveaway! She'll receive a BALM First Aid/Diaper Rash Salve and another BALM product of her choice! I just know she'll love these awesome products!

Misty, please check your email to claim your prize! Everyone else, thanks so much for entering my giveaway. Please check back shortly and I will have another one up that you can enter.

Thanks!

Announcing #ButtercupBaby's Twitter Party, March 6, 9-10pm EST! RSVP and attend to win!

2012-02-19T20:27:00.003-05:00

Time for more Twitter Party awesomeness! This upcoming Twitter Party is being brought to you bv Buttercup-Baby.com, a fabulous new cloth diaper retailer!

When: Tuesday March 6, 2012
Time: 9:00-10:00 pm EST
Hashtag: #ButtercupBaby
Hosts: @ClothDiaperGeek & @ButtercupBabyUS
Where: Twitter, Tweetgrid, TweetChat, Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, etc.

Grand Prize: (1) Happy Heiny Cloth Diaper Starter Kit

Additional Prizes are being offered by our sponsors. Check out the Rafflecopter Form below for all the details.

How to RSVP: Enter your name, email and twitter id in the Rafflecopter form below and submit the extra entries for any you choose in order to increase your chances of winning!

Prizes: You can see a complete list of all the party prizes on the Rafflecopter form below!

Rules: Winners will be chosen at random and announced during the party. All winners will be verified after the party and must have tweeted at least once, with the hashtag #buttercupbaby, between the hours of 9-10pm EST. If they did not then an alternate winner will be chosen.

Participants with private twitter accounts must change to public for the duration of the party or else their participation will not be visible and verification of their involvement will not be possible.

Click >more< below to see the Rafflecopter RSVP/Entry Form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eyla's Imports brings cloth diapers, vegan skincare and organic toys/teethers to Natura Expo West!

2012-02-19T14:35:00.000-05:00

Cloth Diapers due to make an appearance via Eyla's Imports, at Natural Products Expo West 2012!

Eyla's Imports, a Denver, CO based distributor of natural and eco-friendly products will bring their A game to the Natural Products Expo West 2012 in March. Ari Shore and partner Amy Chapman will reach out to attendees of the Expo presenting quality products many of which are invented and produced my Mompreneurs.

Eyla's prides themselves on products that are not only quality made and beautifully packaged, but products that customers will fall in love with for their practicality and function.

Eyla's product lines include

Sweet Pea Diapers, A manufacturer of modern cloth diapers and cloth diapering accessories for the progressive eco-minded consumer. Being green and raising baby naturally has never been more important and Sweet Pea Diapers prove that cloth diapers are making a comeback in a BIG way. Create a well rounded offering for your natural boutique by adding Sweet Pea Diapers and accessories to your product lineup.

Dress Me Up Organic is a small, independently owned toy company. Dress Me Up Organic specializes in handmade, natural, organic cotton soft toys, baby linens and the ground-breaking eco-teething Bonbon®. Another superb product line for the fast growing community of natural minded parents.

Momma Nature is the manufacturer of surprisingly luxurious yet natural, vegan, and cruelty-free products designed for the "natural momma" and her family. Unnecessary exposure to toxins and chemicals in skincare and household products is a growing concern and Momma Nature provides quality products without the risk.

Attendees of the Natural Products Expo West can visit Eyla's Imports at their beautifully designed booth, Booth #4712, March 9-11th, 2012.

For more information on Eyla's Imports and their product lines please contact ashore@eylasimports.com or call 1-888-432-6962.

If you're attending the Natural Products Expo West please join Eyla's Attendee Facebook Page and connect with them!

Diaper Junction is back on SWAGBUCKS!

2012-02-10T20:12:00.001-05:00

Swagbucks welcomes Diaper Junction back! That last batch of Diaper Junction $5 off Coupons flew off the Swag Store's shelves but now they're BACK! You can only redeem one per order but hey, $5 off a cloth diaper is nothing to sneeze at.

You might be wondering what is Swagbucks and how do I earn bucks in order to purchase gift cards and coupons? Well it's a sponsored search engine that randomly awards you swagbucks when you use it.

There was a time when I used to try and search in order to win but I've found the easiest way to earn is by sharing your referral link. When someone signs up and starts earning then you earn too! I don't have much time for it anymore but I do like that I check in every now and then and my referrals have earned me enough to buy a $5 Discount or Gift Card.

They have lots of ways to earn now, even a place to print grocery coupons online and each time you use one you earn 10 swagbucks!

So what do you think? Ready to sign up? Already use it? What do you use your swagbucks for?

Do you have a Fluffy Valentines wish list? Bert does! Check out what makes her heart go pitter patter.

2012-02-09T12:06:00.002-05:00

If you’re a member of Fluffy Bums Anonymous then perhaps you’re looking for some suggestions on your Valentine’s wish list. Or…if your sweetheart is addicted to fluff for your little one then perhaps you should consider a few gifts off of my list!

Ones & Twos in Red or Pink –

This one size diaper boasts a trim, snuggly and comfortable one size diaper. With a soaker pad sewn into the diaper, you can easily adjust the absorbency of the diaper by laying inserts into it or stuffing the front pocket (the diaper comes with one insert but you can purchase additional inserts).

bumGenius Freetime cloth diaper-

In Lovelace (for your little lovely) or in Albert (for your little genius) – The newest diaper, the Freetime OS AIO from bumGenius promises to be daycare friendly and cloth resistant loved ones friendly. With attachable inserts this all in one diaper requires no stuffing at all and is completely easy to use.

Wool –

Wool tends to be pricey, so why not splurge a little and buy some super soft wool? Wool is a completely natural fiber that is anti-bacterial and also waterproof. If you own any fitted diapers or have a heavy wetter a wool soaker can quickly become your best friend.

Wet Bag –

In my opinion, you can never have too many wet bags. They’re awesome for using your cloth diapers when you’re out and about. They also stand the test of time once your baby is out of cloth by being a great bag for the beach! Plus I’m a sucker for a pretty print!

Amber Teething Necklace – Who says diamonds are a girl’s best friend? Clearly, Marilyn was never a mother with a crabby, teething baby! The way a teething necklace works is it releases a natural pain reliever into the skin (don’t worry, it’s a trace amount) and aids in helping those pearly whites cut through your baby’s sensitive gums.

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son. She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things. This June, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl! Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything! Visit her blog, at FTM. Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.

Official Winners list for the #SweetPeaDiapers Twitter Party!

2012-02-08T14:58:00.000-05:00

Phew! Another twitter party is done and over. Last night was a blast and I literally almost had too many prizes to even give out in an hour!

BIG thanks to Nancy, Sharni and Ari, the SweetPeaDiapers team! I think the party was a hit and it was super fun to have something that benefited both those in the USA and those in Canada.

Now that all the winners have been verified, and yes I did have to re-draw some, the official list is below.

Sweet Pea Diapers
Grand Prize Winner is Amy Menzies @mommamenz 6 SweetPea OS Diapers, 2 Wetbags, 2 Prefolds, 2 Covers, Cloth Wipes and Flushable Liners! Yay!

Moms and Bums
(diaper cover) winner is Sarah Jane @mummytocharis

My Precious Kid
(gift certificate) winner is Chrissy Allen @chrissyallen 727

Green Bambino
($25 gift certificate) winner is Marlena Weers @armywifeweers

Eylas Imports
($20 gift certificate) winner is Heather Craft @kingsdaughter82

Nappy Shoppe
(gift certificate) winner is Tessa Smith @marvelgoddess24

Chiquita Baby
(amber necklace) winner is Rachel N @caedmen

Naturally Loved Baby
($20 gift certificate) winner is Claudia Richmond @twistedsister75

Country Drawers
($10 gift certificate) winner is Carolyn Hughesman @graceInk

Little Bums and More
($10 gift certificate) winner is Kirsten Isme @laydieaphrodite

For Mom and Keiki
(OS Diaper with Micro/Hemp) winner is Heather Testa @hltcurly210

For the Monster
(AI3 Diaper) winner is Chrissy Allen @chrissyallen727

Sandbox Lane
($20 gift certificate) winner is Becki Marin @twomonkeymom

Happy Baby Company
(2 OS Covers) winner is Sheri Thompson @togetherwesign

Bum Luxury
(cloth wipes) winner is Kristi Rowland @kristiandmatt

Dress Me Up Organics
(vanilla and butterscotch bon bons) winner is June Moore @simplyjunebug

Eco Bebe Boutique
($50 gift certificate) winner is Lily Ivy @lilydom76

Momma Nature
(clean hand spritz) winner is Breanne Tennant @razzmyberry

Sweet Lil Dimples Shop
(AI3 with hemp) winner is Melissa Smith @sistersncloth

So Green Baby
(OS cover and wetbag) winner is Amber Fewless @afewless

Baby Hope's Cloth Diapers
(diaper cover and wipes) winner is Heidi Ochsner @mikeandheidio

Eco Booty
(cover, prefold and wipes) winner is Raquel Beaty @raquelbeaty

Little Spruce
(Disana wool cover) winner is Sadie Kojetin @sadierose123

The sponsors are also being provided with your email. If you're a winner you can either wait for them to contact you or you can reach out to them.

Thank you all for your participation! To be notified of future twitter parties please sign up for my twitter party mailing list.

Please also keep an eye out for an email this evening with some special discounts from our twitter party sponsors!

Enter to win (2) of The BALM Products! One cloth diaper safe balm and one product of your choice! Ends 02-19-12

2012-02-06T12:02:00.000-05:00

Remember my post/review about my new addiction, The Balm? It's a cloth diaper safe bottom balm, first aid salve and I've been using it as my new favorite lip balm.

Well this week and through the 18th of February you can win your very own jar of The BALM and one other The BALM product of your choice! In addition to the Bottom Balm/First Aid you can choose a natural deodorant, hand sanitizer, household spritz, belly balm, cloth wipe solution and more!

The BALM line of products is made by Taylor House Inc located on the BIG Island (oh how I wish I was there) of Hawaii.

THinc. (Taylor House Inc.) offers a tropical product line that will encourage you to Love Your Skin!
They use only the highest quality all natural and organic ingredients. Their products are locally made in small batches to ensure quality and freshness. Their products come in an attractive and infinitely recyclable glass bottle or recycled aluminum container and they encourage you to reuse with our bulk offerings.

Enter via the Rafflecopeter form below to win (1) The BALM 1st Aid/Diaper Balm and (1) other product of your choice from The BALM product line! Personally I can't wait to try The PITS!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Reasons Your Cloth Diapers Might Be Leaking or Smelling (and how to fix them)

2012-02-06T08:18:00.000-05:00

Leaky, smelly cloth diapers are a common problem for new cloth diapering families. If you start using cloth diapers without doing your research (easy to do, since there's a lot of information to learn when you first make the switch), you may well find yourself with diapers that wick moisture because they've been insufficiently prepped or because you're using a detergent that causes repelling. But it's also possible to have these problems after months or years of successful cloth diapering. When properly cared for and used correctly, cloth diapers are often more effective than disposables and leak less--especially when it comes to blowouts. But there are actually a variety of situations that can cause your cloth diapers to leak, and not all of them involve cloth diapering "mistakes." Fortunately, most of them are easy to fix. Here are ten of the common--and not so common--reasons why your diapers might start to leak.

Washing Problems
Even if you wash your cloth diapers "correctly," using a detergent that's approved by the manufacturer and stripping regularly, problems related to your wash routine can still come up. And because the hardness of your water and the exact make of your washing machine can affect the cleanliness of your diapers, it may take some experimenting to find the perfect wash routine for your situation.

1. Your wash doesn't disinfect your diapers. You may assume that washing your diapers in a hot cycle disinfects them, but this is rarely the case. Unless your washing machine has a sanitary cycle, your water is probably not hot enough to disinfect. Most of the time this isn't a problem, but over time your diapers may start to smell, especially if you don't strip them regularly. Solve this problem by stripping your diapers and then adding occasional disinfecting to your wash routine. You can do this by boiling your diapers (only recommended for prefolds and flats) or by adding a natural disinfectant such as tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract, or oxygen bleach to your wash.

2. Your diapers have buildup. But adding something to your wash can eventually cause problems, too. For most cloth diapers, you can safely make oxygen bleach, vinegar, and small amounts of essential oils a regular part of your wash routine. But if you use too much essential oil, then the oil can start to build up on your diapers, causing them to repel. This is especially true if your diapers have a moisture-wicking layer of synthetic fiber like microfleece. Solve this problem by stripping and then adjusting your wash routine: try using less oil or just using it less often, such as every three washes instead of every wash.

3. Your machines have buildup. If you've been cloth diapering for a while, then you're familiar with the problem of buildup on your diapers. But have you considered that your machines can get buildup as well? If you wash other laundry in detergents that aren't safe for cloth diapers, or if you use softeners in your other laundry, then those additives can build up in your washer and dryer--and eventually on your diapers, too. The best solution is to wash all your laundry in a routine that's safe for cloth diapers, but if that isn't feasible, then consider cleaning your machines periodically. Run a hot rinse cycle in your washing machine before you wash your diapers, and periodically clean the inside of your dryer with hot water (rinse the filter with hot water as well). If you wash your diapers in a laundromat, consider running a rinse cycle in the washing machine and then hanging your diapers to dry instead of using the public dryer.

4. Not enough water. As you may have realized after stripping your diapers a few times, the most important ingredient in keeping your diapers clean is water--and lots of it. Your diapers will get cleaner when they're washed in lots of water. Many modern washing machines, especially high-efficiency, front-loading machines, are designed to conserve water by using as little water as possible per wash. This is great for the environment, but it can be a problem for your eco-friendly diapers. If your machine has an option to add extra water to a cycle, always use that option for your diapers. If your machine can't do that, then add a few wet towels into your diaper load. This will cause your machine to sense more bulk and weight in the load and add more water. An extra rinse cycle will also help get your diapers cleaner.

Diaper Problems
So you've figured out the perfect wash routine, but you're still having problems with leaks? Since every baby is different, and different diaper brands and types all fit differently, you may need to experiment to find the diaper that works best for your baby. Even a simple system like prefolds and covers can still have occasional problems with leaks. Here are a few of the less common causes and how to fix them.

5. Pee speed problem. If your baby's pee tends to come out quickly, then your diapers may not be able to absorb it quickly enough. Soakers made of hemp, although able to absorb a large volume of liquid, usually absorb at a slower rate than other soaker materials. Try adding a doubler of cotton, suede, or microfiber to slow the flow and give the hemp time to absorb.

6. Stuffing problem. When your diapers leak, often your first response is to add more absorbency. But sometimes the problem can actually be too much absorbency--or too much in the wrong place. This problem often appears with pocket diapers: if you overstuff a pocket diaper with very thick inserts or prefolds, you can cause the diaper to gap around your baby's legs or at the waist. The crotch is so thick that the elastic of the legs can no longer lie flat against the skin. The diaper then won't have a chance to absorb pee--it will simply dribble out the side. To solve this problem, use less absorbency and change more often, or use thinner but equally absorbent inserts.

7. Badly folded prefold. The problem of gaps and openings in your diaper isn't confined to pockets; prefolds can also leak because of this problem. Even if you're experienced at folding prefolds and always shape them into a snug fit around your baby, you can still have leaks because of the way you're folding. Make sure you're using a fold that puts the absorbency where you need it most: in front for boys and in back for girls. If you're having nighttime leaks, consider how your baby usually sleeps: side-sleepers may do better with a fitted diaper, since it's equally absorbent everywhere, while back and tummy sleepers will be fine with a prefold, which is mostly absorbent in the middle. Experiment with different types of folds; the jelly roll fold is often more effective for chubby babies, and the newspaper roll may prevent leg gaps.

8. Cover no longer waterproof. Covers wear out over time, so if you're consistently having leaks, you should check to make sure your covers are still in good condition. Drying them in a a machine on high heat might cause the waterproofing layer to pull away from the cover, and small holes or wear in the cover can create leaks.

9. Poor fit. Sometimes, leaks are just caused by a diaper that doesn't fit well. Every baby is built differently, and a diaper that works perfectly for one baby may leak on another. Pay particular attention to the fit of the diaper around the waist and around the thighs. Many babies have chunky thighs but skinny waists, or the reverse, so that they really need two sizes of diaper: a smaller one for the waist and a bigger one for the thighs. Solve this problem by choosing a more adjustable diaper. One-size diapers sometimes allow you to adjust the waist and thighs separately, and snap covers usually have separate snaps for the thighs and the waist. You may also need to try a different brand of diaper; since every brand is made slightly differently, a different brand may fit better and require less adjusting.

10. Wrong absorbency or insert. Sometimes, a leaky diaper isn't complicated--it just isn't absorbent enough to hold all the pee. The best solution for this is to change more frequently, but if you need the diaper to last longer (such as overnight), then simply add more absorbency (while avoiding #6). Be aware of how your inserts fit within the diaper. If your insert is too big, it can get scrunched up inside the diaper, leaving parts of the diaper with no absorbent layer, and if it's too small, then it won't reach to the edge of the diaper.

And if after all that, your diapers are still leaking, don't give up. Contact the company where you bought your diapers: chances are they'll be happy to consult with you and help you figure out why your diapers are leaking. It may take some experimenting, but there's a leak-free cloth diaper solution for every baby--including yours.

Lisa C. Baker is a full-time mom and part-time writer in Atlanta, Georgia. She writes about green parenting topics at Organic Baby Atlanta andteaches workshops on cloth diapers and elimination communication. She's been a mom since 2008 and has never bought a disposable diaper; she hopes she'll never need to!

Winner of the BumGenius Freetime Diaper from Squishy Tushy Cloth Diapers is... Deb n Mike!

2012-02-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

Congrats to DebnMike M, the lucky winners of the BumGenius Freetime OS AIO Cloth Diaper from Squishy Tushy! Please check your email for a notice from me and to claim your prize.

Thank you all for entering. Please continue to follow me, more giveaways are coming up real soon!

I just saw BumGenius on TV! Woot!

2012-01-28T15:48:00.000-05:00

Gotta love the digital age! While indulging in my Reality TV habit, watching Project Runway, one of my favorites, I spotted something!

During a commercial break they were talking about a new show called 24 Hour Catwalk and I saw cloth diapers! They have got to be BumGenius but I can tell from the photo that the tags had been cut off.

Have any of you caught this episode? I'm curious as to what role cloth diapers played in the episode and if they were mentioned at all?

Congrats to Jennifer Labit although I am nut sure her BumGenius brand got any exposure aside from the diapers appearance in a commercial for the show.

So what's the scoop? Did any of you catch this episode?

Enter to win a NEW Thirsties Duo AIO from Diaper Junction! Ends 02-02-12

2012-01-27T11:36:00.000-05:00

Exciting news! Diaper Junction has a new All Star Affiliate program, which you all should check out, and because I am an All Star Affiliate I get to co-host a giveaway for them! That means you can enter here or there.

This week Diaper Junction's Feed Your Stash Friday gives you a chance to win a NEW Thirsties Duo All In One Cloth Diaper and Diaper Rite wetbag!

No Assembly Required! A two-size all in one diaper that TRULY adjusts to fit your baby from birth to potty training. Get a total fit with Thirsties Duo Diapers, as well as an affordable cloth diaper system that will take you all the way.

The AIO has a waterproof PUL exterior, a built-in multi-layer microfiber terry soaker that absorbs an amazing seven times its weight in liquid, and is lined with a buttery-soft, stay-dry microfleece liner that goes against the baby's skin. The Thirsties Duo AIO is designed to be economical, trim-fitting, and easy to use.

If you'd like to win one of these great new cloth diapers from Diaper Junction you need to enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cloth Diaper Detergents Leaving Chemical Burns? Fact or Fiction?

2012-01-26T11:43:00.000-05:00

Cloth Diaper Detergents Leaving Chemical Burns? Fact or Fiction?

Can a cloth diaper safe detergent leave chemical burns or is it an Urban Legend? I set out to find the answer with regards to some popular cloth diaper and cloth diaper safe laundry detergents and the information I dug up was interesting and eye opening to say the least.

You can't do much cloth diaper research at all before you come across the topic of cloth diaper safe detergents. "Use XYZ but not ABC. ABC left chemical burns on my babies bottom." It gets a little hairy, how do you choose? There's a lot of conflicting information online. Some manufactureres even put select detergents on their list of detergents to AVOID, in fact some go so far as to say that if you use THAT detergent you will have VOIDED your cloth diapers manufacturer warranty!

I decided to ask the experts, the manufacturers of the detergents themselves. And when I say manufacturers I mean the families who personally created the product and who manage and oversee their production. I personally interviewed the owners of the companies below and have the FACTS, their answers, to share with you all.

Eco Sprout Soap
Owned by Jared Edwards & Family

Can Eco Sprout Soap burn a baby's skin?

Eco Sprout detergent will not cause a "chemical burn". I believe this term has caught on because of reports of what was happening with disposable diapers. In those cases, yes...a child could react to the chemicals within the diaper causing a burn-like rash. Thus, the description "chemical burn". Our detergent does not have any chemicals in it and would never "burn" a child's skin.

All detergents, however, can cause skin irritations. Much of the time it is due to miss-use of the product. With cloth diapers, irritations can occur when the user:

uses too much detergent with too little water (causing a build-up)
uses too little detergent with too much water (causing an ammonia build-up)
if the child just has a sensitivity to one of the ingredients in the detergent

Sometimes even the minerals in a person's water can react differently to the detergent being used and then re-deposit back onto their diapers causing a rash.

"We try our very best to create an effective, safe, gentle, chemical-free detergent that is tested extensively and used on our own children before production." -Jared Edwards

Charlies Soap

Owned by Taylor Sutherland & Family

Charlie's Soap is a textile scour, a product that is designed to prep fabrics for treatments, cleaning all the way to the core fiber and leaving zero trace residues.

Can Charlie's Soap used as directed or as misdirected, burn a baby's skin?

There is no chemistry in Charlie's Soap that can interact with skin on this level. In nearly 20 years of exposure to workers to our full strength cleaner (a root of our ultimate laundry products), there was not one incidence of burning skin or even irritation.

Charlie's Soap, as tested by Clemson University, has proven 100% rinsability. Because Charlie's soap rinses 100%, there is no residue to mask or cover missed bacteria, bile or waste. In the case of missed bacteria and/or waste, stink and burns can occur. A baby's sensitive skin can react almost instantly and a burn can occur. It is not the Charlie's Soap that caused it, it is what the soap missed.

Why would Charlie's miss waste, bile, bacteria or other debris?

Poorly performing washer
Overloaded washer (washing too many things at once)
Too little water used
Hard Water
Too little detergent used

Proper rinsing, proper dosage, and disinfecting can help you perfect your cloth diaper wash routine.

Rockin' Green Soap

Owned by Kim Webb & Family

Can Rockin' Green Soap cause burns or irritations?

There are usually two causes of irritation according to Kim Webb, CEO of Rockin' Green.

The first is leftover product in the diapers. This is usually due to insufficient rinsing, which can be compounded by thicker diapers or HE machines and not enough water to rinse them properly. The ingredients in Rockin' Green are designed to rinse clean, and not bond to fabric. So if your cloth diapers are being rinsed properly, there should be no product left in the fabric to cause a problem.

Rockin' Green goes an extra step and uses ingredients that are designed to help minimize the chance of irritation even if a sufficient rinse isn't available, but the best course of action of course is to make sure that you are using the correct dosage with plenty of rinsing on the back end of your routine.

The second cause, and perhaps the most common cause of diaper rash and "burns" have to do with ammonia. When urine is left in the diaper (either from insufficient rinsing at the beginning of your routine, not enough/too much soap, lack of hot water...etc) it will quickly convert to ammonia which can burn babies skin.

My Summary:

In general, especially with cloth diaper specific detergents which are designed to be used on the most sensitive skin, baby's bottoms, precautions have been made to ensure that detergents are made to rinse clean. With the feedback from my three experts, the common problems arise when cloth diapers are not getting rinsed properly, too little detergent is being used or when you're attempting to wash too many cloth diapers at one time.

It's generally not the detergents that burn the baby's bottom, it's what's getting left behind on the diapers from improper washing.

I hope this better helps you understand how cloth diaper detergents are supposed to work and what the reasons could be if you're detergent isn't working for you. I also REALLY hope you'll think twice before advertising publicly that XYZ brand has burned your little ones skin. Keep in mind that these companies are owned and operated by families who care about providing the best product possible to you and they take great care not to produce anything that would harm anyone.

Join me for the #SweetPeaDiapers Twitter Party Feb 7th, 9-10pm EST

2012-01-23T17:58:00.002-05:00

When: February 7, 2012
Time: 9:00-10:00 pm EST
Hashtag: #SweetPeaDiapers
Hosts: @ClothDiaperGeek & @SweetPeaDiaper
Where: Twitter, Tweetgrid, TweetChat, Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, etc.

Grand Prize: (6) Sweet Pea OS Diapers with Inserts, (2) Sweet Pea Wetbags, (2) Packs of Sweet Pea Cloth Wipes, (2) Sweet Pea OS Covers, (2) Sweet Pea Prefolds, (1) Roll of Bio Diaper Liners!

Additional Prizes are being offered by our sponsors. Check out the Rafflecopter Form below for all the details.

How to RSVP: Enter your name, email and twitter id in the Rafflecopter form below and submit the extra entries for any you choose in order to increase your chances of winning!

Prizes: You can see a complete list of all the party prizes on the Rafflecopter form below!

Rules: Winners will be chosen at random and announced during the party. All winners will be verified after the party and must have tweeted at least once, with the hashtag #sweetpeadiapers, between the hours of 9-10pm EST. If they did not then an alternate winner will be chosen.

Participants with private twitter accounts must change to public for the duration of the party or else their participation will not be visible and verification of their involvement will not be possible.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BumGenius Freetime OS AIO Giveaway from Squishy Tushy! Ends 01-29-12

2012-01-23T08:19:00.005-05:00

New Giveaway for you all courtesy of SquishyTushy! They just arrived their shipment of the new BumGenius Freetime Cloth Diaper and they want to celebrate with a giveaway!

bumGenius Freetime All-In-One One-Size Cloth Diapers features their patent pending butterfly closure system to provide a comfortable, trim fit. This simple design makes cloth diapering as easy as using disposables. Our "no-stuff" system with semi-attached inserts is an ideal solution for families with a child in day-care or family members resistant to cloth diapers! Using the snaps on the front of the diaper, adjust the size if needed, put the diaper on your baby, wash, dry and re-use. No extra steps. No stuffing. No cover required. Our one-size diapers are designed to fit most babies weighing between 8 and 35 pounds.

You'll love this new cloth diaper from BumGenius! Enter to win one below thanks to SquishyTushy!

*Open to participants in the USA & Canada. Winners have 7 days to claim their prize. All winning entries will be verified.

Winner will receive a BumGenius Freetime Diaper in the color of their choice according to availability.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure, Does this make me an official blogger now?

2012-01-22T18:33:00.002-05:00

I'm adding this Disclosure Statement to my "pages" and thought I'd go ahead and publish it as a post first so that you all know it exists and know my position.

Thank you for visiting my disclosure page. This is where I explain to you that some of the links provided on my blog and in my content are linked to affiliate accounts and that I sometimes get compensated by sponsors who would like me to promote them on my blog.

What's an affiliate account? Basically it means that if you click through one of my affiliate links and happen to buy something, I might either receive a small commission or future store credit at that business based upon the amount of your order. Sound like a good idea? It is! I encourage you to become an affiliate yourself. Visit your favorite online businesses and check out their affiliate opportunities!

Sound lucrative? It's not really, but it does help to provide me with a little cash or store credit that I can use to purchase cloth diapers and other products that I can either give as a gift or use as a prize in future giveaways and promotions.

What should you know? I don't choose advertisers, sponsors or affilaite accounts based upon who will pay me the most. I first support small businesses that I belive in and who believe in me, businesses whom I trust and can honestly and knowledgeably recommend, and then I sign up for an affiliate account with them if they have one or if I know that I will be recommending their products and services on a regular basis.

What would I not do? I would not accept compensation to promote a product that was made of questionable quality, in questionable conditions, or a product that I was not comfortable recommending. I also would not accept compensation to say that a product is amazing or that I love it when I have not actually ever seen it or tried it. If I haven't tried it then I'll let you know.

I want you to know that I would never recommend you shop somewhere that I thought you would be taken advantage of or that may provide you with defective products, services or poor customer service.

I primarily support small businesses, most of whom are mom-run and/or very small family run businesses. I support them wholeheartedly and I hope you can too!

Announcing Buttercup Baby with Super Sales and a Special "GEEKY" Discount!

2012-01-20T15:04:00.004-05:00

Buttercup Baby is a Brand New natural living and baby boutique founded by new mommy Audrey Marandino. Her first child. Sophia, 5 months, inspires her to be a little bit greener every day. The journey started when Audrey was a infant caregiver at a local daycare. Several parents touring the facilities inquired if the daycare allowed cloth diapers. This was completely new and foreign since last she knew cloth diapers were burp cloths and pins!

Fast forward a couple months later and Audrey was cloth diapering her newborn by 6 weeks old! She found the whole CD world to be addicting, and the mommies were helpful and encouraging. Deciding to go in to business on her own was scary, and the "warehouse" that is actually her dining room looks like a cloth diaper tornado hit, but she says she would do it again in heartbeat!

Buttercup Baby carries a wide range of products to make cloth diapering and green living easier. Sophia, Audrey's 5 month old, has super sensitive skin and is prone to eczema. Therefore Buttercup Baby stocks only the gentlest, most pure and organic lotions and creams the market has to offer. Top brands like Earth Mama Angel Baby and CJ'S BUTTer are bestsellers in the shop for other moms with little ones that also suffer from sensitive skin. Natural, good smelling detergents without harsh chemicals from Ruby Moon are available in yummy scents!

Cloth diapers are sometimes a last resort for babies that battle diaper rash in disposables. Whether you need help troubleshooting a rash problem or have cloth diaper questions on what is right for you, Audrey will take the time to find you your perfect diapering solution. Soon you'll just love the prints, colors, cuteness and over-all ease of cloth diapering.

You can find a wide range of cloth diaper options at Buttercup Baby- gDiapers offer both hybrid and full cloth options, and FuzziBunz, Happy Heinys, Thirsties, GroVia and Rumparooz offer both fitted and one size options.Little Bundles in Bamboo from AppleCheeks are the finest in natural fibers!

Just because the name is Buttercup "Baby" we didn't forget the Mommies! Moms can browse the shop for items for themselves too! Click on "For Mommy" at the top navigation bar and you'll find organic herbal teas from Earth Mama Angel Baby, mama cloth from Happy Heinys, and more!

And BabyLegs aren't just for babies, either. Everyone in the family can wear them (as arm warmers!)
Lastly we would like to let you know that there is always a giveaway, contest or sale going on at Buttercup Baby. In this economy, we know your hard earned money can be difficult to part with and that's why we want to make everything as affordable as possible. Feel good knowing that you got the most bang for your buck, and that the money that you have invested is in products that are natural, oftentimes made in the USA, sustainable and earth friendly.

Check out www.buttercup-baby.com today for all of your natural living and baby boutique needs!
Fan us on Facebook to keep up with all of the sales, coupons and giveaways! www.facebook.com/ButtercupBabyStore

Cloth Diaper Geek blog readers, please enjoy 10% off your entire order with coupon code GEEKY at check out!

*This offer CAN be combined with all of the sales and promotions going on, including the FREE BOOK deal!

#ChangingTimes Twitter Party Winners and Special Offer!

2012-01-18T14:37:00.001-05:00

Thank you all for attending the #ChangingTimes Twitter Party last night! it was a definite success and I just love how we can all get together and with the use of a good ole hashtag we can converse and it feels like we're just hanging out at the local coffee shop. I think twitter parties are cozy, despite their size.

BIG thanks to Diane of The Changing Times and LolliDoo Cloth Diapers for making this party possible. With their help and the support of our sponsors Ecosprout Soap, Kelly Wels, AppleCheeks, FluffBling, FluffStash, Knickernappies and Little Beetle.

Diane has a Special Offer for everyone. Valid for 1 week, through Tuesday Jan 24th, 2012. Details are below.

Ready to read the official winners list? See below.

*All winners were verified and confirmed to have tweeted at least once last night, during the party with the party hashtag of #changingtimes.

Little Beetle Wool Patchwork Wetbag and Nursing Pads Set: @jdeemarie
Knickernappies Custom Fit Cloth Pocket Diaper with Micro Insert: @graceink
FIVE Winners of FluffStash for iPhone: @sticemichelle, @melissastamps, @bouldermoms, @dolphin4176, @veshoemaker
FIVE Winners of FluffBling: @chels_613, @jwhenke, @amyjoyce79, @melissastamps, @caedmen
TWO Winners of Kelly Wels Changing Diapers Book: @macersmomma, @babygivegalore
AppleCheeks Lil Bundle Bamboo: @simplyjunebug
AppleCheeks Lil Bundle Microterry: @kenner82
Pack It Freeze n Go Lunchbag and Re Snack It Sandwich Bag: @Rev_Deamon
LolliDoo Classic OS Diaper & Overnight Pocket: @mycutegenes
Buggy Bag Shopping Cart Cover: @sticemichelle
Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer, Baby Bum Drops and Velour Wipes: @sj4iy
Country Save Detergent & Non Chlorine Bleach: @dizzytarheel
Mayrons Goods 4 Pack (Chap Stuff, Body Oil, Body Milk, Body Wash): @JennyMcClamroch
gDiapers Size Small Cover & 16-pack of gDiapers Small Inserts: @heartsleeve
EcoSprout Soap 24oz Bag & Bottom Balm: @jaidens_mom

Winners, please contact me to claim your prize. Email shethinksmedia(at)gmail.com

To be notified of future Twitter Parties please sign up for my Twitter Party Reminder Mailing List HERE.

Sacred Mommy Space- Where do you retreat to when you need to escape?

2012-01-17T10:09:00.001-05:00

Oh this week has been LONG. Long afternoons, endless mornings and quick nights - the kind whereyou wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, look atthe clock and see that it says, "5:00am." Hugebummer. You know that kind of night - you see the time andthink, Crap! I only have abouttwo hours left.

It's quiet time right now! Can I getan, AMEN!? After spending the entire morning trying to explain to my son,Buggie, why we don't push, hit or kick Mommy or the dog. Thenputting him in time out to only to have him say, "Why?" Ohmy gosh, really?! I told you for 20 minutes why you couldn’t hitthe dog!

I am retreating to my sacred place - a bowl ofmy yummy melted chocolate chips and melted peanut mixed in vanillaice cream treat while I watch GeneralHospital. Yes, I proudlyescape Mommy-land to good old Port Charles. All of my friendsknow not to call at 2pm because I rarely answer the phone.

Whether your escape is a pair of running shoesand the pavement or a quite corner of your house with your favoritemagazine or book, we all need a sacred space. The place where we cansit back, take a few deep breaths in and no one asks us what’shappening or tells us they need their butt wiped.

Where’s yoursacred Mommy space?

What does a Glow In the Dark Chip Clip, Chewing Gum Flavor Saver and Fluff Bling have in common?

2012-01-11T13:23:00.003-05:00

Have you heard of Fluff Bling? It's a cloth diaper accessory, more for fun than necessity. It's a sturdy decorative snap that can be attached to standard cloth diapers to dress them up, for your little one's sake really.

They're like an embroidered patch but stiff, not hard, but certainly not floppy. They won't fit inside your little ones throat and pose no known choking hazard. Sure, little one can probably take them off, but they can also put them back on. That could be fun.

I purchased some Fluff Bling for a few reasons. Did I need them? Not really but I bought some. Want to know why?

First, I am curious about anything and everything cloth diaper related and ideally I'd love to see everything in person. I wanted to see for myself how these new decorations for your diapers look and feel and how they work. For $3.45 each I wasn't going to NOT get a couple of these.

Second, I believe in supporting small businesses and especially mom owned businesses. I remember what it was like to be a new retailer/small business owner and how exciting it was to get an order through my website and it delights me to no end, to be able to put a little smile on a business owners face by placing an order with them.

Third, Fluff Bling was invented by a mom. It's important to recognize that a mom sat down and designed this product, probably at her kitchen table. From a simple sketch to hiring a manufacturer to make a prototype, to seeing it through and ordering the actual inventory and packaging, it was a labor of love. I don't care whether you've invented a glow in the dark chip clip or a chewing gum flavor saver, if you're an inventor, an entrepreneur like me and if I can tell you poured your heart and soul into an idea you had, I'm going to support you if I can afford to, even if it means spending a couple bucks on a product that I can't use or don't need.

So am I lecturing you? Sort of. Am I telling you that Fluff Bling is useless and no one needs to buy them for any other reason than to support a mom? No.

Fluff Bling does have practical applications. I think that for everyone, snapping these on to your diapers might not float your boat, there are many other uses for them. If you're knee deep in the cloth diapering community like I am then you know that the snaps used for cloth diapers are used for many other things as well. Sewing WAHM's on Etsy, Hyena Cart, Diaperswappers and more all use these standard snaps to make everything from children's clothing to backpacks, soft soled shoes to baby blankets. Where ever there's a snap there's a place to use Fluff Bling. Add a snap to your child's shirt pocket and they can wear a different patch each time or change them out on their own.

My point is to think about the big picture before passing judgment on any product or idea. Don't have anything nice to say...well you know how that saying goes.

Smooches,
Julie

Many uses for The Balm besides just diaper rashes!

2012-01-10T10:16:00.002-05:00

This is my very own personal review of The Balm, a cloth diaper safe 1st Aid Balm and Diaper Rash Salve. You might be wondering, what makes the balm different from other diaper rash balms? Let me share with you the various reasons I love The Balm and why it truly is The Bomb, just as it's packaging states!

Cloth Diapers- First and foremost, since I am the "Cloth Diaper Geek" and since the majority of you are cloth diaper folks, The Balm is cloth diaper safe. I gently applied the balm to the skin and transferred into the inside of a microfleece lined pocket diaper and also a suedecloth lined pocket diaper and it did not stain or build up on the diapers interiors. I don't have a baby in diapers so I found this to be the best method for testing it as a cloth diaper safe rash remedy.

Lip Balm- My husband is a lip balm addict and I am getting him turned on to more natural balms than the highly medicated tingly kind that he often can't live without. I am being serious, he's been known to drive to the drug store at 11pm to buy his medicated balm if he can't find his. It's taking a little more work than I expected but I have witnessed him using the Balm a few times on his own. For some reason he's hooked on that tingly medicated feeling from his drugstore junk.

Personally I am a lipstick wearer but when at home I've been reaching for the Balm. I love the fragrance, very natural and I love lavender, and it has a silky smooth texture, it's not as dry as some other salves I have tried.

Dry Skin- My sons frequently get red irritated dry skin around their mouths from too much licking their lips ad runny noses, especially in winter and the balm works great for treating it. The redness subsides overnight with just one application of the Balm.

1st Aid- Another funny use for it is as a faux medicine. My little guys are 5 yrs old and from morning til night they've got bump's bruises, bug bites, freckles and often invisible boo boo's that require attention. A little Balm, I dab it on and voila! I've treated them without having to reach for the neosporin.

The Balm, made by Taylor House, Inc is all natural and organic. I can't say enough good things about this product and the family who makes it! Yay for family run businesses!

If you're looking for a new cloth diaper safe rash balm to try and one that has many uses besides just for baby's bottom, you should try the Balm!

Buy $5 Diaper Junction Gift Cards in the Swagbucks Store!

2012-01-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

Exciting News! Diaper Junction is now on Swagbucks!

You can now redeem your Swagbucks "bucks" in the SwagStore and purchase $5 Diaper Junction Gift Cards! There are some restrictions but nothing unexpected.

*You may use your Diaper Junction/Swagbucks Voucher and receive $5 off any order. Limit 1 Voucher per order, cannot be combined with any other promotional offer and cannot be used toward the cost of taxes or shipping. Vouchers expire 12/31/12.

Don't yet have a Swagbucks account? Sign up and start earning today!

Free Bag of Rockin' Green Soap at DiaperJunction.com!

2012-01-03T17:40:00.000-05:00

Super cool deal, only valid for a limited time. When you order $79 or more at Diaper Junction you can use code ROCKIN2012 and receive a FREE Full Size Bag of Rockin Green Soap cloth diaper detergent with your order!

Rockin' Green rocks your cloth diaper wash! This Phosphate free, dye free, and enzyme free cloth diapers detergent has three versions available to meet your every cloth diaper washing need.

Gentle for longevity. The new blends have a lower PH than other detergents on the market, which means that its even gentler on fabrics and diapers.
Safer for sensitive skin. Having undergone cosmetic testing, Rockin Green can be used on the most sensitive of skin types*.
Better cleaning power. Designed to deliver more cleaning power per scoop, many customers have found a 60 percent reduction in stains, and are able to reduce the amount of rock the soaks needed.
* Testing was done on Rockin Greens "Bare Naked Babies" unscented soap.

This offer can expire at any time. Only while supplies last. Must use coupon code Rockin2012 to receive your free bag.

Rockin' the New Year Video Contest with NOW Family! Ends 01-31-12

2012-01-01T16:00:00.001-05:00

Rockin' the NEW YEAR Video Contest!
12/29/2011 - 01/31/2012

How do I get entered?

[1] Make a video (max. 5 min.) that has ANYTHING to do with sustaining our Planet, Families or Communities. (ie a how to on composting, a how to on cloth diapering, a cloth diapering tip, how to recycle an item within the home, how to conserve your time or money, etc.)
[2] Upload your video to Now Family's Facebook Page...we will then upload it to our Youtube Video Community Page!
[3] Winner will be chosen by NOW Family on Jan. 31st & announced the next day!
[4] Winner Chooses their "Sustain-a-Pack." Either a HUGE Cloth Diaper Pack or a Household Pack (for families who aren't currently cloth diapering

Yay for Giveaways!!!

WINNER CHOOSES BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING 2 "Sustain-a-Packs":

"Sustain-a-Pack" Cloth Diaper Style:
2 flips and 2 inserts choice of color
Pack of Thirsties Fab Wipes
1 Planet Wise Wipes Pouch
1 Planet Wise Small Wet Bag
1 Bottle of "THE" BALM! SANITIZE those HANDS!
1 Bottle of "THE" BALM! JUICE those WIPES!

"Sustain-a-Pack" Family Household Style:
1 Tea Pot or Coffee Pot
1 Planet Wise Snack Pack Set
1 WugBug Onesie or T-shirt
2 Bottles of Homeopathic Combos
1 Bottle of "THE" BALM! SANITIZE IT!
1 Bottle of "THE" BALM! Skin Repair/1st Aid

Join me for the #ChangingTimes Twitter Party on January 17 @9pm EST!

2011-12-28T16:16:00.001-05:00

It's time for another Twitter Party and I am so excited to share it with you! A friend and cloth diaper retailer, Diane of Changing Times is putting on a great party for you and I am honored to host it! We'll be celebrating the new year and "turning over a new leaf" with green resolutions and eco-friendly discussions, including cloth diapers of course!

When: January 17, 2012
Time: 9:00-10:00 pm EST
Hashtag: #ChangingTimes
Where: Twitter, Tweetgrid, TweetChat, Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, etc.

Special Thanks to LolliDoo Diapers for partnering up with Diane to put on this great party!

Additional Sponsors: Kelly Wels, AppleCheeks, Little Beetle, Fluff Bling, Fluff Stash, Knickernappies and Eco Sprout Soap!

How to RSVP: Enter your name, email and twitter id in the Rafflecopter form below and submit the extra entries for any you choose in order to increase your chances of winning!

Prizes: You can see a complete list of all the party prizes on the Rafflecopter form below!

Rules: Winners will be chosen at random and announced during the party. All winners will be verified after the party and must have tweeted at least once, with the hashtag #changingtimes, between the hours of 9-10pm EST. If they did not then an alternate winner will be chosen.

Participants with private twitter accounts must change to public for the duration of the party or else their participation will not be visible and verification of their involvement will not be possible.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Folded Fortune Teller: It's been 20 years at least since I made one of these...

2011-12-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd share, it's been at least 20 years since I had made one of these folded fortune tellers. My daughter is in 3rd grade now and it's all coming back to me.

She asked if I knew how to make this "foldy" thing and she tried to describe it. I knew exactly what she was talking about and folded one up as if it were just yesterday that I made my own. Funny how you just can't forget some things.

Do you remember these?

Oh and in case you're wondering...After choosing red, yellow, purple, etc and then a number, and another number, some of the fortunes you might end up with are "Your hair looks like a rats nest" or "You smell like a goat."

Official #KinectwithCloth Twitter Party Winners list!

2011-12-17T12:16:00.000-05:00

This is the official winners announcement and Twitter Party re-cap! Thank you all for attending. We had an AMAZING turnout, nearly 800 of you RSVP'd, and with your help we made DiaperJunction's Birthday a night to remember!

Many thanks to all our sponsors; Rumparooz, Swaddlebees, Boba, Thirsties, Kelly Wels, Rockin' Green Soap, Diaper Rite, Happy Heinys, Bummis, Fuzzi Bunz, GroVia and Knickernappies!

Our Lucky WINNERS are...

Thirsties Product Sampler-Laura Erwin @Lerwin1324
6 Pack DiaperRite OS Pocket Diapers-Rebecca Mitchell @rebmcallister
Swaddlebees OS Simplex Diaper-Kimberlie Tiegen @JLJMommy
6 Pack Rumparooz Doll Diapers-Sally Louk @Insidemyheartt
6 Pack Rumparooz Doll Diapers-Erlinda Palines @Erlindapal
Rumparooz Wetbag & Changing Pad-Kristy Weir @dtytemnestra
Boba 3G Baby Carrrier-Steph @scg003twitparty
Happy Heinys Yellow OS Diaper w Aplix-Danloo Moran @looloo01
Happy Heinys Aqua OS Diaper w Aplix-Vashti McMurray @mamahunfy
Bummis Beautiful Basic Kit & Wetbag-Tiffany Nixon @tiffaniterena
Rockin' Green Soap Bundle-Lauren Fruehan @FrugalProvident
Fuzzi Bunz Elite Diaper-Neysa Minahan @hibinme
Fuzzi Bunz Elite Diaper-Katie Champ @kmrouse
Changing Diapers Book-Stacy Hancock @organicmommyluv
Changing Diapers Book-Amy Warren @amywarren33
Changing Diapers Book-Amanda Gleich @amandagleich
Changing Diapers Book-April Gilberston @irishmarmalade
GroVia My Choice Trainer-Leena Heiti-Willegal @Leenakhw
Knickernappies SuperDo Insert-Samantha Allen @samanthaLallen
Knickernappies SuperDo Insert-Chrissy Palkewick @chrissyallen727
Knickernappies SuperDo Insert-Rose Ellen Farmer @rosieposie143

GRAND PRIZES:

18 Pack Rumparooz Diapers, Micro Liners & Pail Liner-Jennifer Herford @JHollyHock
XBox Kinect Adventure Pack Holiday Bundle-Amanda Maupin @MrsM9

Winners please respond to the email you should have received, with your name and shipping details and also, boy/girl/gender neutral or size if and when applicable.

Want a chance to win another Xbox Kinect Holiday Bundle? Diaper Junction has a NEW Sweepstakes up! You could win either the Xbox Bundle or 1 of 3 great Gift Certificates. Click here to enter the Kinect with Cloth Sweepstakes.

Looking forward to the next Twitter Party hosted by Cloth Diaper Geek? You can submit your email to my Twitter Party Mailing List and I'll be sure and email you as soon as the next Twitter Party is on the calendar! Click here to submit your email.

Join Diaper Junction's Newsletter Mailing List and you'll be kept in the loop and notified as soon as they announce a new sale, promotion or event! Click here to subscribe to their Mailing List.

Winner of the (2) Fuzzi Bunz Elite OS Diaper Talk Diapers is...Michelle C!

2011-12-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Kelly Wels for sponsoring this great giveaway and giving a Cloth Diaper Geek fans a chance to win (2) Fuzzi Bunz diapers! Cover em up or show em off, either way you'll have two awesome cloth diapers!

According to Rafflecopter the lucky winner was Michelle Chafin! Michelle, congrats! Please check your email for a notification from me and to claim your prize.

Winner of the EMAB Bottom Balm from Buttercup Baby is...

2011-12-15T11:39:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for entering the Buttercup Baby Giveaway! Emily G is the lucky winner of the Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm, cloth diaper safe trash creme. Emily please check your email address for details on how you can claim your prize.

BIG thanks to Buttercup Baby for sponsoring such a great giveaway!

How far would you go for your fluffy mail if you suspected FOUL PLAY???

2011-12-14T16:10:00.000-05:00

I love funny cloth diapering stories and I know that some of you reading this can relate. I'm absolutely positive that more than one of you have called the post office to see if a package was there by mistake or have obsessively "tracked" your package online every step of the way until you see that it's out for delivery. Shoot, one day my fluffy mail was out for delivery and when it didn't get delivered I actually drove around my neighborhood looking for the mailman so I could ask him if he had accidentally forgotten to deliver my package.

But this post is about the unimaginable (yes I am being dramatic...). What if you suspected foul play, how far would you go to find out where your fluffy mail was?

Let's go back shall we? I'll make this as dramatic as I possibly can, for fun, but believe me it's all true. I had (2) dozen unbleached chinese prefolds, biodegradable/flushable liners, a couple covers and diaper pins on their way to me. I was tracking the UPS order every step of the way.

Bingo! The package was out for delivery but when the UPS truck came and went and did not stop at MY house I got a little frustrated. What the heck! Patience I reminded myself, maybe there were two trucks on this route? There turned out not to be. Bummer.

I tracked the package again and to my HORROR, it said it had been delivered!!! I went outside, looked in the bushes, the mailbox...nothing. I checked the address it was correct. I called the retailer, no luck. I can handle a package taking extra long to deliver but when you tell me something's been delivered and it hasn't...then I FREAK OUT!

I waited til the next day and when it again was not delivered I contacted UPS to file a claim. After what seemed like an eternity they were able to determine the package had been signed for and delivered to the WRONG HOUSE!

The Good News? I knew where it was! I was going to walk down the street, knock on the door and politely tell them that my package had accidentally been delivered there. I presumed they'd say "Oh, golly you're right. Here it is."

What actually happened? I was not prepared for...

My package was there and I had proof! I must have looked desperate, or like a weirdo, because with very little interaction they handed over my box. It had been OPENED gasp! And it it had been rummaged through! No shame, no effort to try and conceal that they'd opened a box that did not have their name OR address on it! Just "oh yeah, here's your box" and it's all open with stuff all hanging out!!! Who does that!? Geeeze!!

So, that's my close call. What lengths have you gone to in order to get your fluffy mail on time?

Can you use Microfiber Automotive or Cleaning Towels as Inserts?

2011-12-14T10:30:00.001-05:00

I found Microfiber Towels at the local Dollar Tree, they were a pack of 3 for $1.00! I thought these would make a great cloth diaper experiment so I sent them to my buddy Bert to try out and write about! Below is her post!

Cloth Diapering on a Budget? Try Microfiber Automotive or Cleaning Towels!

With the economy being what it has the last few years it’s understandable that everyone is trying to cut back on spending. If you’re cloth diapering then you know that your investment of diapers is important and definitely not where you should be scrimping to save. What if I told you there was a way to use your pocket diapers and still save money?

If your pocket diaper inserts aren't absorbing as much as they used to or you find you need more inserts than you have on hand, never fear, you do have some affordable options. You can stuff a pocket diaper with almost anything that will absorb liquids. Check out some microfiber towels that you can pick up in either the automotive section of a superstore such as Target or Wal-Mart. Also look in your local dollar store for these little absorbing machines!

I’ve been stuffing my daughter’s pockets with these for the last few weeks to ensure that they’d get the job done. They definitely pack a punch as far as absorption goes.

My favorite way to use these little towels is in my daughter’s nighttime diaper. She’s only 5 and a half months old so she’s still getting up at least once at night to nurse. I simply wrap the towel around her insert and then stuff it in the pocket. It’s thin and light
but gets the job done.

You also can play around with different folding techniques and use the towel as an insert. I wouldn’t let my daughter go more than two or three hours without a changing but then again I usually don’t let her gone that long unless she’s napping.

Play around with folding the towel in half, thirds or use two towels folded one on top of the other. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to use pockets. Now who doesn’t like that?

I want to cry or scream, on a daily basis. How often do you?

2011-12-09T13:36:00.001-05:00

I'm taking a detour from all the things I should be doing at the moment in order to write this blog post that's been on my mind. I think I'm writing it in the hopes that fellow mothers can relate, so that I know I'm not really crazy (well I really am a little), but because I think it's normal, I think I am normal, and I hope you all do too.

I want to cry or scream, on a daily basis, how often do you? From 6am until about 9pm I deal with whining, crying, wrestling, non-stop eating, drinking, rambunctious, tattle-telling, demanding and extremely messy kids. From 9-12 my twin 5yr olds are in preschool and let me tell you, those three hours go by in about five minutes.

We run a tight ship around here but NO is never answer they want to hear or accept, especially from me when their dad's not home. No...means yes. Maybe...means yes. Yes...means NOW! Most days I just don't know what to do or say because they just WILL NOT listen. It's then that I want to cry. Sometimes I tell them they're going to make me cry or that I feel like I'm going crazy. Sometimes that's all that works.

I think it's normal to not really be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel on most days. Groundhog Day anyone? I don't get to whine about these things to anyone in real life. If I do, people feel sorry for me, they offer out of obligation, to take the kids sometime so I can have a break. I always decline.

I'm sure in public you've heard people tell you what an awesome mother you are. "How do you do it all?" they say. We smile, we thank them, we tell them we just do what we know and what we've got to do.

Sometimes I think I maybe really have gone a little crazy, and that it may be irreversible. I wonder if I'll make it through and if I really can keep up this pace? I try to keep in mind that one day they'll be out of the house and I'll be bored, wishing they'd come for a visit, secretly wishing I could go back to this crazy time in my life.

So, today I'm coping by writing. How do you keep on keeping on when you feel like you may be losing it?

Win (2) Fuzzi Bunz Elite Onesize "Diaper Talk" Diapers from Kelly Wels! CLOSED

2011-12-09T11:52:00.003-05:00

I promised this would be a month of crazy giveaways and here's another one for you! Kelly Wels, author of Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Cloth Diapering, is sponsoring this great giveaway!

Kelly is giving one lucky Cloth Diaper Geek Fan a chance to win (2) Fuzzi Bunz Elite Onesize 'Diaper Talk' Diapers!

Apple Green "Cloth is Cool"
Watermelon "Does this diaper make my butt look big?"

I know some of you might be thinking that you don't prefer these "talking diapers" but keep in mind that the Fuzzi Bunz Elite is a true workhorse cloth diaper. Don't like what they diaper is saying? Well cover it up! You don't want to miss this chance to win (2) of these awesome diapers.

What else should you know?
During the month of December Kelly Wels has a great promotion on her Changing Diapers book! You can choose Buy 1 Get 1 Free plus Free Shipping or Buy 1 for just $9.95! This deal can't be beat and this book by Kelly would make a great gift for your friends, family or co-worker!

Win Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm from Buttercup Baby! Ends 12-14-11

2011-12-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

I'm bringing you a ton of great giveaways this month! This one is from a great new retailer, Buttercup Baby! Audrey, the super sweet owner, is offering Cloth Diaper Geek fans a change to win a 2 oz jar of Angel baby Bottom Balm from Earth Mama Angel Baby! This is a great diaper rash balm and barrier cream and it's cloth diaper friendly.

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below! Also, keep in mind that new Buttercup Baby fans receive a 5% off discount! Plus, all orders over $49 ship FREE!

This giveaway is open to residents of the USA & Canada!

DIY: Homemade Sparkly Peppermint Playdough!

2011-12-05T12:29:00.001-05:00

My little guys got to make this fun DIY playdough at school today and I was so impressed by how it turned out that I wanted to share it with you all.

Here's the Recipe:

Sparkly Peppermint Playdough

2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Salt
4 tsp Cream of Tartar
4 tbsp oil
4 tsp Peppermint Extract
Glitter (optional)
Food Coloring (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Form dough into a ball, sprinkle with glitter, place on waxed paper and cool completely. Store in ziplock bags.

Our dough was colored with red food coloring making it pink and it smelled just like candy canes! It's super soft and pliable and easy for little hands to mold, shape and re-form.

Give it a try! Have fun!

Win a iPad2 from Kelly Wels' Fluffy Days Sweepstakes!

2011-12-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

I am excited and proud to be one of the blogger sponsors of Kelly's Fluffy Days Sweepstakes!

You can enter to win an iPad2 and some fabulous prizes in the Changing Diapers Book Fluffy Days Sweepstakes. (All entries are collected by visiting the fb page.)

You can enter EVERY DAY plus you get extra entries for:

“Liking” the sponsors facebook pages.
Sharing the sweepstakes with friends and family.

Open to US & Canadian residents 18 years or older. See complete rules for details. Many thanks to blogger sponsors: Change-Diapers, The Eco Chic, Happy Green Babies, Toni The Chic Momma, Cloth Diaper Geek, & Cloth Diaper Blog!

Click here to enter via Facebook.

#KinectwithCloth Twitter Party is going to be HUGE! Have you RSVP'd yet?

2011-12-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

Did you know it's Diaper Junction's Birthday on December 15th? What better way to celebrate than with a fabulous Twitter Party Bash! The prizes are unreal and sure to make your holiday dreams come true if you win!

I will be hosting this great Twitter Party and I couldn't be more excited! I am a HUGE Diaper Junction fan!

When: Thursday, December 15, 2011
Time: 9:00-10:00pm EST
Where: Twitter via TweetGrid, TweetChat, Hootsuite, etc.
Hashtag: #kinectwithcloth
Grand Prizes: 18 Pack of Rumparooz Diapers, Microchamois Liners and Pail Liner courtesy of Rumparooz
XBox Kinect Adventure Pack/Holiday Bundle courtesy of DiaperJunction

Additional Prizes: (see Rafflecopter below)

Rules: Winners will be chosen at random and announced during the party. All winners will be verified after the party and must have tweeted at least once, with the hashtag #kinectwithcloth, between the hours of 9-10pm EST. If they did not then an alternate winner will be chosen.

Participants with private twitter accounts must change to public for the duration of the party or else their participation will not be visible and verification of their involvement will not be possible.

Winners of the Chic Diapers Giveaway are...

2011-12-02T09:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks for such a great response to the Chic Diapers Giveaway! You helped make their Grand Reopening really fun and we're super appreciative of that!

There were THREE lucky winners! See below to see if you're one of them!

Prize #1, Nikole H.
Prize #2, Ellie Fitzpatrick
Prize #3, Desiree Smiley Trott

Your details have been passed on to Chic Diapers and they will be in touch with you on how to claim your prizes.

Free Bag of Rockin' Green when you order $79 or more at DiaperJunction!

2011-11-26T17:15:00.000-05:00

And the deals just keep coming! Diaper Junction is now offering a Free Bag of Rockin' Green's Holiday Scent, Red HOT Apple Cider in Classic Rock formula when you order $79 or more! *Limited quantity, while supplies last.

In addition to the Free Bag of Rockin' Green, domestic orders will enjoy Free Shipping over $49 and Double Reward Points! When your reward points accumulate you can then redeem them for Stash Cash which is a Diaper Junction Gift Certificate!

Be sure to visit Diaper Junction today this weekend and take advantage of some of their amazing deals!

BLACK FRIDAY Deals on Cloth Diapers! You don't want to miss these!

2011-11-25T09:32:00.004-05:00

Below I am going to share with you some of the awesome deals from my sponsors. Shop small businesses this weekend! Happy Black Friday!

Green Diaper Store-

We will be adding free gifts to orders all weekend long. Check our Facebook page to see the winners! Almost the entire store is 15% off! Other great deals, excluded from the 15% off but still on sale are below!

Green Toys and Green Eats are 20% off!
Buy 2 Get 1 Free GroVia
Bottombumpers Sale, Buy 6 Solids or 4 Prints and Get 1 Free
Buy 5 Get 1 Free Elite Mini, Elite Trim, or Elite Onesize 1.1
Tweedlebugs Onesize Buy 5 Get 1 Free

Plus Free Domestic Shipping over $79.00! Shop at Green Diaper Store today!

Sweet Little Blessings-

15% off any size order with coupon code THANKFUL. It can't be combined with any of the free diaper deals, but can be used on anything else in the store. FuzziBunz, Thirsties, bumGenius, Rumparooz, Softbums and more!

Here are all the free diaper offers:
Grovia shells, all in ones and newborn all in ones are buy 2 get 1 free
Bottombumpers are buy 6 get 1 free
Econobum are buy 1 get 1 free
Oh Katy are buy 5 get 1 free
Tiny Tush Elite are buy 5 get 1 free

Plus Free Shipping on ALL USA orders over $40! Shop at Sweet Little Blessings.com!

Cloth Diaper Outlet-(offer expires at 11am EST on Black Friday)
Always Free Domestic Shipping on orders over $35 at Cloth Diaper Outlet! Today only, you can receive 15% off the entire store with coupon code BLACK and combine it with the FREE Shipping over $35! This deal is awesome. Plus a portion of their profits through the New Year go towards Water of Life. Read all about it here.

FluffyRump-

Save 20$ off of Baby K'Tan on Black Friday Only.
Rockin' Green Soap for just $11 per bag.
Up to 35% off of many of your favorite brands including PlanetWise, FuzziBunz, Bummis, Baggu, Grandma El's, Life Factory, CJ's and more!
Visit FluffyRump for sale details or check them out on FaceBook for the inside scoop.

EarthyCrunchyMama-

Use code BLACKFRIDAY, to receive 20% off store wide. (20% off does not apply to already discounted items).
FREE Shipping on ALL US orders and 1/2 off on Canadian Orders!
GroVia Buy 2, Get 1 Free - Shells, AIO, and Newborns
Rockin Green Secret Seasonal Scent in both Hard and Classic Rock. Hard Rock - $12, Classic Rock $11.
EcoSprout but any 96 ounces of detergent (2 48oz bags or 1 96oz bag) get 1 24oz bag free (while supplies last).
FuzziBunz 30% off.
Bummis Products 20% off
Bamboobies 20%
bumGenius 30% off
Flip Diapers 30% off
Rumparooz Diapers Buy 4, Get 1 Free.
Nursing Shirts 40% off.
20% or more off LOTS of other products Store Wide!

Diaper Junction-
Sales Beginning Thanksgiving Day: (and continue through Cyber Monday)

HOT! Select Thirsties Diaper Covers $6.00
HOT! Select Thirsties Duo Diapers $13.00
HOT! Select Thirsties Duo Fab Fitteds $10.00
HOT! Select Thirsties Duo Wraps $8.00

Mini Showers $34.95
GroVia Wet Bags $3.50
FuzziBunz One Size (Late Model) $12.95
Blueberry Bamboo Pocket Diapers $18.00
GroVia Shells – Ice & Cosmos $9.95
GroVia One Size All In Ones – Ice & Cosmos $16.00
Country Save Detergent $9.95
Kissaluvs Newborn All In Ones $11.00
Oh Katy Diapers $12.00
20% off of the Following:
All Diaper Rite products 20% off
Boba Baby Carriers & Wraps 20% off
Swaddlebees 20% or more off
Kissaluvs 20% off
Blueberry Diapers 20% off
Happy Heiny’s 20% off
Kiwi Pie Diapers 20% off
CJ’s BUTT-er
Diva Cup

Sales Beginning on BLACK Friday: (and continue through Cyber Monday)

Rockin Green Limited Edition Holiday Scent $11.00
Select Bummis products 20% off:
Bummis Super Whisper Wraps
Bummis Super Brite
Bummis Super Snap
Bummis Whisper Pants
Bummis Swimmi
Bummis Beautiful Basic Kit
Bummis Fabulous Wet Bags
Fuzzibunz products 20% off
Rumparooz products 20% off
Eco Posh 10% off
Free $25 gift card with any Ergo Baby Carrier purchase

Visit DiaperJunction this weekend and shop til you drop!

50% off Changing Diapers Book PLUS Free Shipping! That's just $8.98!

2011-11-23T23:17:00.000-05:00

From now until the end of the day Cyber Monday Changing Diapers Book is 50% off! That is right….50% off. Only $8.98 each and INCLUDES FREE shipping.*

This is an awesome deal on an awesome book and it won't be around at this price long. Snag one for yourself and one for a friend or two, they make a great gift!

The NOW Family's Fall Photo Contest!

2011-11-19T18:36:00.001-05:00

Have you heard that The NOW Family has launched their Fall Photo Contest? It's super easy to enter and the prize is a Turtle Soup Woolie Cover! Never heard of Turtle Soup? Well here's a bit of info about this great wahm company.

Turtle Soup is the maker of fine children's wear and novelties, but known best for their 5 star rated protective swim wear for toddlers and special needs.

There are many easy ways to enter this photo contest. Contest ends November 30, 2011. Visit The NOW Family on FaceBook to enter.

Giveaway: Three Great Cloth Diaper Prize Packs from ChicDiapers.com! CLOSED

2011-11-18T19:14:00.003-05:00

I am super stoked (that's my way of saying excited) to bring you this great giveaway from a great retailer! This giveaway is sponsored by ChicDiapers!

ChicDiapers has been around for a while but they're now celebrating their Grand Re-Opening and I'm hopeful that with this giveaway I can help them with the "Grand" part!
ChicDiapers is offering up (3) Great Prize Packs so that means there will be THREE lucky winners!

Two Oh Katy OS Diapers in the color of your choice, plus a pack of Thirsties Fab Wipes!
Two BumGenius 4.0 OS Cloth Diapers, plus a pack of Thirsties Fab Wipes! *Winner gets to choose one print and one solid colored diaper.
One FuzziBunz Elite OS Cloth Diaper in the color of their choice, plus

There are many easy ways to enter this giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below. ChicDiapers agrees to ship the winners prizes to participants in the USA & Canada.

I believe in child labor. This is what a $2 blog post looks like.

2011-11-10T12:04:00.002-05:00

Guinn and a Knickernappies OS

It's true. I am that desperate for blog posts that I commissioned my lovely freckle faced daughter to write one for me. She was a little hesitant but she likes money, cha-ching, and the promise of a $2 paycheck was enough to get the keys clicking away beneath her fingers.

"What should I write about?" she asked.

"Cloth Diapers, duh!" I said and laughed. I think I saw her roll her eyes but I can't be sure.

Below is the result. This is what a $2 blog post about cloth diapers written by an 8 yr old looks like.

When I grow up I want to use cloth diapers for my kids because instead of using up all of my money each month I can order cloth diapers and I can recycle them again and again. I choose to use cloth diapers when I grow up because I can order them and get them sent to my place. My baby can use them, and I can wash them, and use it again.

When I saw my mom sell cloth diapers I thought it was a good idea because well first of all, I think its a pretty cool job to sell cloth diapers like my mom because really you get to meet new people and you get to work at home. And like I said when I first saw my mom sell cloth diapers I thought it was cool. When I grow up I want to sell cloth diapers!!!

by Guinnevere

What's on your fridge? Mine's a mess.

2011-11-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

Just last night Kim of Dirty Diaper Laundry mentioned this idea for a post. Let's all share what's on our refrigerators! My first though was oh boy, my fridge is an absolute mess. But I figured with a couple photo effects I could disguise the grime and still share the catastrophe that IS my refrigerator. So here goes!

A: Photo of myself, my husband and kids on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in Bryson City, NC!
B: One of my favorite photos of my husband and daughter.
C: Cute and crazy sketches that my daughter recently drew.
D: A magnet, I think it's Mary Engelbreit, that my husband gave to me about 13-14 years ago when we were just barely dating.

E: A hilarious card that my mother gave me. The woman in the photo is telling her child "No REALLY. Go and hide. I'll come find you!" (I can relate for sure)
F: One of my favorite photos of myself and my daughter when she was maybe 6 months old, I think.
G: Photo of my daughter's VPK Graduation ceremony.
H: Family Photo.
I: Another of my daughter's drawings.

J: A photo from last Christmas. We got all three kids Red Ryder BB guns and they were testing them out.
K: Another shot of my daughter. We had stuffed balloons in her onesie to look like boobies and she thought it was hilarious.
L: Smartipants Diapers Magnet. No clue where it came from.
M: Solar System sketch my daughter copied out of a book.
N: Magnet: "I'm so crafty, I make people."
O: My daughter playing with tupperware.
P: My daughter and I dressed up as Princesses at a VPK event.
Q: School Paperwork

R: Stickers all in a row that read "Mental Health, Mental Health, Mental Health." Appropriately placed by my husband. Keeping our sanity is a constant struggle in this house. I have no clue where the stickers came from, some junk mail I think.

Well folks, other than some other random magnets, that's about it. The sides of the fridge, well you can only imagine what those must look like...

Do you want to share "What's on your fridge?" Go for it and then leave a comment here and on Kim's page with a link to your blog post so we can check it out.

Orange County, California Cloth Diaper Consultations in your home!

2011-11-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

Are you a resident of O.C. (Orange County, CA)? If you are or you know someone who is then you're in luck! Jamie, the mama behind Celtic Cloths is now offering In Home Cloth Diaper Consulting!

What is In-Home Cloth Diaper Consulting?
Cloth Diaper Consultations are a hands on cloth diaper demo that comes to you! Perfect for expecting moms, for those interested in switching to cloth or those interested in seeing real cloth diapers in person before they buy.

From Jamie's own site, here's what she's got to say about her Cloth Diaper Consultations.

Want to cloth diaper, but don't sew and don't know where to start? Let me come to you and provide a one-on-one, in-depth cloth diaper consultation. During our session, you will all about modern cloth diapers, the different types of cloth diapering systems, how to care for and wash diapers, and how to put on one a baby.

I will bring with me several different cloth diapers so that you can see, feel and try each one, along with information on each diaper. I will also bring cloth wipes and wet bags and we will discuss how to set up your diapering station and how to pack the cloth diaper bag.

And, as my youngest is in cloth, you can see a cloth diaper in action! I will bring a baby doll with me as well, so you can practice putting on the different diapers.

Already have children, and want to make the switch to cloth? Great! Any time is the right time!

I will provide resources on where to buy cloth diapers, both locally and online and will leave you with a Cloth Diapering Basics hand-out.

The Cloth Diaper Consultation will be approximately 60-90 minutes long.

Jamie's located in Costa Mesa, CA. Please contact her or visit her site for more details.

Join us, Tuesday Nov 22nd for the Twitter Party of the Year!

2011-11-05T09:42:00.003-04:00

Cloth Diaper Geek and Dirty Diaper Laundry are proud to present the Twitter Party of the Year! Mom's Milk Boutique's first ever Twitter Party Bash!

Join us as we celebrate the upcoming Black Friday promotions and kick off the launch of Mom's Milk Boutique's new Milk Miles Rewards Program!

The prizes and sponsors are POURING in so you don't want to miss this amazing party!

The Details:

Date: Tuesday November 22, 2011

Time: 9:00pm-10:00pm Eastern

Hashtag: #MilkMiles

Platform: Twitter via Tweetgrid, TweetChat, Hootsuite, etc.

The Sponsors so far are amazing!

Grand Prize:

GroVia's Grand Prize Package Includes 10 GroVia Shells, 5-Soaker Pads (2-pack), 2-Booster Pads (2-pack), and 1-50ct Pack of Bio Soakers!

Additional Sponsors and Prizes: (details to come)

Blueberry
Swaddlebees
Rockin' Green Soap
Helvea
Tots Bots
BumGenius
ErgoBaby
Thirsties
and many many more!

RSVP and enter to win via the Rafflecopter form below. In order to be eligible to win you must have tweeted a minimum of (1) time during the party with the #milkmiles hashtag.

*Please check back often as new entry methods will continually be added to the form. All the additional prizes besides the Grand Prize will also be added in the coming days.

DIY: Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent!

2011-11-01T18:01:00.000-04:00

Guest Post by Daphne

Homemade liquid laundry detergent, it’s something I never thought I would be making. I’m not your typical ’’Susie Homemaker’’ who makes everything from scratch...or anything from scratch. However, my mom, Susie (yes, seriously, it’s Susie) jumped on the bandwagon and made several batches. She passed some on to my family to use and I really liked it! It was gentle enough for my son’s sensitive skin, not an overpowering smell and it got the job done! Plus it is DIRT cheap, yes pun intended!!

Thus began my journey into making homemade laundry detergent! Now I get to share it with you!

Recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent

1/3 bar Fels Naptha
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax Powder
2 gallons Water

Additional Supplies:

Bucket (2+ gallon size) *I used a used and cleaned cat litter container

Now, let’s begin: Grate the Fels Naptha soap and put it into a large sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the Washing Soda and the Borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture into the bucket and stir. Add 1 gallon of water plus an additional 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. Give it a stir before you use it.

You use ½-1 cup per load. (I use closer to 1 cup).

I also want to show you how much money you are saving by making your own laundry detergent (*All prices are from my local Wal-mart).

Cost Breakdown:
Here are the prices of each item:

1 bar Fels Naptha (5.5oz): $.97
Washing Soda (55oz/3lbs 7oz.): $ 3.24
Boarx Powder (76oz/4lbs 12oz): $2.98
Water: FREE!

Here is the price break down per batch:

1 bar Fels Naptha: $.32
Washing Soda: $.24
Boarx Powder: $.16
That’s a total of $.72 a BATCH, which is $.02 per load (if using 1 cup).

Still not convinced??

Look at these two different kinds of liquid laundry detergent I found at Wal-mart. Here are their prices based on their cost and how many loads of laundry it says it does on the container.

All 2x Ultra Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent, 150oz $10.97 ($.11 per load)
Gain Liquid Laundry Original Fresh Detergent, 150 fl oz $15.47 ($.16 per load)

Are you ready to join me on the bandwagon?

Daphne married her husband in November of 2005, and became a stay at home mom in September of 2010 with the birth of their son! Daphne blogs about their life as a family, her crafts, DIY projects, and recipes. She likes to give the price break downs on different projects/recipes to help her readers understand what they are saving/spending. She blogs over at Life’s A Project, The Life and Projects of a Homemaker!

*Disclaimer, this post is intended for general laundry purposes, not cloth diapers. Please consult with each diapers manufacturer approved detergent list before trying this on your diaper stash.

Winner of the EcoPosh Diaper from TheNOWFamily is...Samantha K!

2011-11-01T12:02:00.000-04:00

The giveaway sponsored by TheNOWFamily is now over and Rafflecopter has chosen the lucky winner! Thank you all for your interest and for entering.

The lucky winner is Samantha K and she'll be receiving either an EcoPosh Newborn Fitted Diaper or an EcoPosh Onesize Fitted Diaper, in the color of her choice!

Samantha, please check your email for a notification from me and to claim your prize.

Don't forget to check out TheNOWFamily for your cloth diapering and eco-freindly family needs, especially if you live on the Big Island of Hawaii!

Green You Laundry with Wool Dryer Balls from FluffyRump.com!

2011-10-19T12:30:00.001-04:00

I'm sure you've noticed wool dryer balls mentioned around the web and across the various social networks. Wool has so many benefits and so many applications and uses. Using wool in the laundry in the form of dryer balls is just one more reason to love it.

A Cloth Diaper Geek sponsor, FluffyRump, has a great selection of wool dyer balls in all sorts of vibrant colors. Read on below about why you should choose wool dryer balls, how they can save you money and green your laundry routine!

Dryer Balls are a money & time saving alternative to chemical-laden dryer sheets! A MUST for cloth diapers!! FluffyRump recommends 2-4 dryer balls for small, delicate loads and up to 12 for large loads of towels or clothing. You can purchase them individually or buy them in pairs.

Dryer Balls do a number of wonderful things:

They are an eco-friendly alternative to the conventional dryer sheet.
They do more than a dryer sheet by pulling the moisture out of your clothes so you don’t have to run your dryer as long, saving you time and money.
They reduce static just like dryer sheets do.
They soften your clothes like liquid fabric softener when they’re bouncing around your dryer. Fabric softener has harsh chemicals that make your clothes soft and also increase the flammability of your clothes putting you at risk of a dryer fire - not fun!
They’re wonderful cat and dog toys when they “accidentally” make their way out of the dryer!
They’re made of 100% wool so they’re safe for babies to learn about colors and as a counting tool, they love the texture!
They’re absolutely WONDERFUL for cloth diapers! They keep them soft and clean without the harmful chemicals in conventional dryer sheets.

Are you ready to try wool dryer balls? Visit FluffyRump for a great selection! Need more information about wool, green living and cloth diapering? Follow FluffyRump's blog, Cloth Diaper Living!

Enter to win an EcoPosh Onesize or Newborn Fitted from The NOW Family.com! Ends 11-01-11

2011-10-18T15:19:00.003-04:00

Guess what? Another great giveaway from a mom owned business! This time it's a two mama owned business located on the Big Island (oh how I wish I were there) of Hawaii!

About TheNOWFamily.com:
We are based on the Big Island, HI. We are 2 families who operate TheNOW Family, a business we created to help spread awareness on sustainability, community & connecting. We operate a Diaper Service and a retail online shop that currently has mostly cloth diapers & supplies (but are adding family & personal goods continuously). We run in house parties, free community workshops and family services. We're working on building a wealth of information, supporting local and family / Mah & Pah (Made At Home & Perfected At Home) products and we network with local family run service businesses.

TheNowFamily has generously offered to send one lucky Cloth Diaper Geek fan an EcoPosh Diaper in the color of their choice! The winner can choose the onesize or newborn fitted and this giveaway is open to participants Worldwide!

*Giveaway winner will be announced on November 1st, 2011.

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

Eco Sprout Soap Challenge Update – After Two Washes...No more ammonia!

2011-10-17T12:55:00.000-04:00

Guest Post by Bert

I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with Eco Sprout. They really do live up to their words to really clean diapers AND eliminate the ammonia smell. I have washed my diapers twice now and would you know the detergent works?! I swear I must’ve smelled every single insert before putting them in the dryer. Clean. Fresh. Bright. The diapers even looked bright.

If the power to remove the ammonia smell isn’t enough to get you to come over to the Eco Sprout side maybe this will – the price. I found that with some popular detergents they claimed to be less expensive but I had to use more detergent to get the smell out than what was advertised to me. I bought the 96 oz bag and Eco Sprout’s directions of washing were correct. I didn’t need to add any more detergent than what was recommended. So that means that for $0.26 per load you can wash 96 loads of diapers if you buy the 96 oz bag (I used two tablespoons of detergent per load). And really you don’t need any more detergent than what Eco Sprout says to use. Keep in mind too that I followed Eco Sprout’s instructions for the presoak before washing my diapers regularly. I’m pretty confident that you will not have the same positive results I’m having if you skip this step.

I’m sold on Eco Sprout and I think you should give it a try. I think you’ll like the result.

Eco Sprout is available at Diaper Junction, a Cloth Diaper Geek sponsor. Diaper Junction also carries Eco Sprout samples at just $1.75 each. You can also find a list of other Eco Sprout retailers here.

My home, straight from the pages of Pinterest? Maybe not.

2011-10-14T13:16:00.001-04:00

Pinterest, I love it but it depresses me. It inspires me AND it overwhelms me. Lately I've been trying not to look at it's pages. Is it real? Are people really that creative? Do they really have the time? Do people really live like that?

I've seen a lot of Pinterest inspired blog posts lately where fellow bloggers and Pinterest junkies share with us some of their favorite, most dreamy, most coveted pins. I love those blog posts. I thought I might set out to do one myself but then I looked around my house and thought I'd instead share with you some of my Pinterest worthy decor. Can you resist from pinning them yourselves?

First, the painfully creative Halloween decor my 8 yr old made. Glasses with food coloring = Spooky Potions. On the left we have "bluddy red" in the middle "gostly blue" and on the right "pumpkin feast," at least that's what the labels say they are...oh and there are pinecones with glitter.

Second we have "Halloween" drawings by my twin 5 yr old sons. Plain computer paper, sharpie markers and Duct tape because we have a real problem keeping actual tape in the house. My inclination was to say "no" but then I just went with "yes, it looks fabulous, thank you guys!" Lord only knows how long these will be up in my kitchen.

Lastly, we have the laundry couch. I promise you and my husband it's not the same laundry you saw there yesterday, it's a different load I swear. As long as it's folded I tell myself it doesn't look so bad. Thank heavens we have an extra loveseat just for laundry. Isn't it just the best idea ever!?

Of course I wish that my home looked like it was straight off the pages of Pinterest. Maybe one day.

Cloth Diaper Gossip: Shhhhh...Cloth Diapers aren't supposed to be ugly.

2011-10-14T10:03:00.000-04:00

One of the most awesome things about cloth diapering is knowing that your child is wearing a comfortable, expensive (when compared to a disposable diaper), and often designer print or fabric. Cloth Diapers...nothing but the best for my baby, and it's true. It feels good to cloth diaper your kids.

Interestingly enough, lately, and I will not name names nor do I want you to, it appears some cloth diaper manufacturers are making cloth diapers that look cheaper than normal. They almost have a "faux disposable" diaper look. It's just not right, cloth diapers are meant to be cute.

What do you think? I tend to think that while it makes perfect sense for disposable diaper makers seek to make their cheap product look more like a quality cloth diaper, there's no need for cloth diapers to be made to look so commercial or so cheap.

Am I making any sense here people?

Diaper Junction announces their FREE "Treat Bag" Promo! (*A min $39.25 Value)

2011-10-13T13:22:00.000-04:00

Free TREAT BAG with your $75 purchase!

Treat bag includes:

(1) GroVia Wet Bag
(1) One Size AIO, One Size Pocket, or One Size Diaper Cover & Medium Diaper Rite Prefold Diaper
(1) Detergent Sample
(1) Roll Diaper Rite Disposable Diaper Liners
$10 Stash Cash certificate (valid 10/15 - 11/30/11)

$39.25 Minimum Retail Value

Limited Quantity

Act Quickly. Only 50 bags available!

Included Brands

Brands you know and love include:

Happy Heinys
Kissaluvs
Bumkins
Blueberry
GroVia
Diaper Rite
Rockin Green
Eco Sprout

Rules & Limitations

No coupon code necessary. Treat bag will automatically add to cart.
Offer can not be combined with any other discount offer including bumGenius! Buy 5, get 1 free.
Not valid with purchase of gift certificates.
Limit 1 bag per order & 3 bags per household.
Customer may make gender requests however, DJ reserve right to ultimately choose brand, style, color/print.
offer not available in store.

A cloth diapering mama is taking the Eco Sprout Soap Challenge!

2011-10-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

Guest Post by Bert

It’s not typical to find a man who knows about cloth diapering and takes a personal investment in it but the Internet chatter about the diaper detergent, Eco Sprout, is just that! Eco Sprout was created by a WAHD who was frustrated with his family’s diapers and pail liners smelling like ammonia even after a good washing. He also wanted to create a detergent that was cloth friendly and could also be used to wash his entire family’s laundry. For more on the story though you can go to their site.

Anyways, although I’ve been using a rather popular cloth diaper detergent I’ve been somewhat unhappy with the results I’ve gotten after washing my diapers. I could still smell the ammonia even after doing a long soak. When I needed another refill of my detergent I thought it would be a good idea to do some research and see what other cloth diapering parents were using. That’s when I found a few blog reviews on Eco Sprout. The raves about Eco Sprout were pretty convincing so I thought I’d give it a try.

I’m taking the Eco Sprout challenge and seeing if it really does work.

First things first, and I read this on a lot of reviews, you have to do a long hot soak with 3 tablespoons of the detergent. Eco Sprout recommends soaking your diapers in their detergent for at least two or three hours and if possible extending that to an overnight soak. I read one review where the cloth diapering mom hadn’t done the soak and she said that she quickly realized that it had to be done. The reason you need to do this is because you must get all of the detergent build up and minerals out of the diapers first if you want to maximize Eco Sprout’s effectiveness.

I filled my washer with hot water at 2pm and then I allowed my washer to drain at 10:30pm.

The water was really dingy….gross.

After the 8 and a half hour soak, I had to run two hot water washes with cold rinses using NO detergent.

Dry as usual and you’re done! I did the smell test immediately after my diapers, liners, inserts, and wipes dried. Amazing. Fresh. Clean. No ammonia. Stay tuned for another update to hear if I’m still impressed with Eco Sprout.

Winner of the Sweet Pea Diapers AI3 Cloth Diaper is...Julie G!

2011-10-12T11:34:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Sweet Pea Diapers AI3 Diaper Giveaway! Julie G was chosen as the winner by Rafflecopter and will receive her very own Owl Print Sweet Pea Onesize AI3 Cloth Diaper!

Julie, please check your email for an email notification from me and to claim your prize.

Remember, to shop for Sweet Pea Diapers please visit their USA or Canada websites and locate a retailer closest to you.

Winner of the Leslie's Boutique Minky Changing Pad is...

2011-10-12T11:27:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Nicolette C! She was chosen by Rafflecopter as the lucky winner of the Leslie's Boutique Changing Pad Giveaway! She'll be receiving the adorable Carnival Bloom and Pink Minky changing pad shown in the giveaway photos. Now baby will be changed in style!

Nicolette please check your email for a notification from me and to claim your prize.

Winner of the DiaperJunction.com FreeTime Diaper Giveaway is...

2011-10-12T11:21:00.000-04:00

Someone is going to have a great December! The lucky winner of the (3) BumGenius Freetime Cloth Diapers is Ashley R! There were close to 5000 entries in this DiaperJunction.com sponsored giveaway. I was super excited to sponsor and happy to give you all a chance to win.

As soon as the new Freetime cloth diapers hit the shelves at DiaperJunction they'll be sending Ashley her winnings! Ashley please check your email for a notification from me and to claim your prize.

Pick Your Treat Promotion at DiaperJunction.com!

2011-10-06T11:40:00.001-04:00

You know I am a HUGE Diaper Junction fan and I know a lot of you are too. I just have to share with you all this great promotion they've got going on. It's called Pick Your Treat and you basically get to choose a FREE gift to add to your cloth diapers order!

Here are the details straight from Diaper Junction!

Pick Your Treat Promotion

We're in Halloween spirit here at Diaper Junction! No tricks...just treats! We all like to get a little FREE something with our purchase so with our Pick Your Treat promotion, you get to pick what you get!

Order Level & Treat

Spend $10 or more and pick one of the following:

Eco Sprout Detergent Sample - Use code PYTESS to add to cart
Rockin Green Soft Rock Detergent Sample - Use code PYTRGD to add to cart

Spend $20 or more and pick one of the following:

GroVia Wet Bag - Use code PYTGWB to add to cart
Diaper Rite Disposable Diaper Liners - Use code PYTDRL to add to cart

You may instead choose at the $10 level if you prefer.

Spend $50 or more and pick one of the following:

One Size Diaper Cover - minimum guaranteed value $13.95
Use code PYTOSC to add to cart
Imse Vimse Swim Diaper - Size: Newborn - Use code PYTIVN to add to cart
Imse Vimse Swim Diaper - Size: Small - Use code PYTIVS to add to cart

You may instead choose at the $10 or $20 level if you prefer.

Spend $75 or more and pick one of the following:

One Size Pocket Diaper - minimum guaranteed value $16.95 - Use code PYTOSP to add to cart
One Size All in One Diaper - minimum guaranteed value $21.95 - Use code PYTOSA to add to cart

You may instead choose at the $10, $20 or $50 level if you prefer.

Rules & Limitations

Limit one code redemption per order. However, each code can be used two times per customer.
Customer may express gender requests for colors and/or prints. However DJ reserves the right for ultimate choice.
Offer can not be combined with any other offer including bumGenius! Buy 5, get 1 free.
Supplies are limited. Offers will be removed as they sell out

DIY Cloth Diapers: How to make your own fleece cloth diaper liners!

2011-10-03T09:48:00.002-04:00

Guest post by Bert

If you’re new to cloth diapering many things can seem daunting such as the new kinds of detergent you should use, getting use to having to wash diapers every other day to every two days, and especially diaper rash creams. There are creams that are made specifically for cloth diapering; however, if you have non-CD friendly creams laying around that you want to use up you have to use a fleece liner between your baby’s skin and the diaper. The reason it’s so important to do this is because the oils that are in diaper rash creams will ruin the way your cloth diaper holds and absorbs wetness. Now you can buy liners if you want or if you feel like you’ve been spending tons and tons of money on cloth diapers already you can make your own!

You can use any kind of fabric such as fleece or flannel. I choose to use fleece because it wicks away the wetness from your baby’s skin and because of I have a lot of old fleece blankets lying around.

First what you’ll do is either take a newborn insert or measure out 14.5” by 4.75” on your fabric. I just use my insert as the guideline for the fleece by laying it out on the blanket I’m going to use.

Then simply cut around the insert or outline you’ve drawn up.

And voila! Wash your liner first before use and remember to wash them separately from the diapers so that the oils won’t mesh with the diapers.

If you need to purchase fleece or another fabric for making your own liners or you'd like to try your hand at sewing cloth diapers, visit a shop like Celtic Cloths Wholesale for your diaper sewing supplies, patterns and tips!

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son. She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things. This July, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl! Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything! Visit her blog, at FTM. Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.

Leslie's Boutique Minky Designer Print Changing Pad Giveaway! Ends 10-07-11

2011-10-01T08:56:00.000-04:00

When's the last time you checked out Leslie's Boutique Product lineup? No longer does Leslie's only offer wetbags, they also offer mama pad bags, pail liners, hanging pail bags, mama cloth and even a new line of diaper changing pads.

Recently I got to check out all of Leslie's Boutiques products in person and I loved them. Nellie, the hardworking mama behind Leslie's Boutique has given me one of her luxurious Minky Changing Pads to give away to one of you!

Read all about the new Designer Changing Pads below.

Features:

Stylish Designer Cotton Outer
Coordinating Soft Minky Inner
Hidden Waterproof Layer
Generously Sized: Measures 23" long x 18" wide
Rolls up small with secure closure for easy storage

Details:
Featuring a stylish designer cotton outer, hidden waterproof layer, and an inside of luxuriously soft minky, this pad is sure to keep baby clean and comfy during changing time.

Diaper changes are full of wiggles and squirms, and our generously sized pad keeps baby covered. Measures 18 inches wide and 23 inches long. Big enough for a toddler and large enough to cover any public changing station. Our waterproof pad is also great for diaper free times enjoyed at home.

For on the go changes and diaper bag storage, this pad rolls up small and secures tightly with our Velcro closure tab. Our changing pad is available in a variety of beautiful designer prints that will match any baby and momma's style. When necessary, the changing pad is easily washed with your cloth diapers or laundry.

Want to win the Changing Pad seen in the photo above? Enter via the Rafflecopter Form below!

*Only choice is for the Carnival Bloom Changing Pad seen int he photo above. Prize ships directly from Cloth Diaper Geek.

It's Freebie Friday at DivaDiapers.com!

2011-09-30T10:45:00.000-04:00

If you haven't checked out DivaDiapers lately you should! In fact, if you need anything, order today and you could be her lucky Freebie Friday Winner!

One lucky shopper who places their order today will have their entire payment REFUNDED! Wouldn't that just make your day?

Diva Diapers also has DivaDiaper Dollars, you earn them for each order and then can redeem them for free cloth diapers! She offers Free Shipping on orders over $50 and has a great variety of in stock items, especially all the latest and greatest products and promotions!

Today's the last day to take advantage of the Buy 6 Get 1 Free Fuzzi Bunz Promo, or you could go with BumGenius and Buy 5 Get 1 Free! Whatever you need Diva Diapers has got it!

Enter to win (3) of the NEW bumGenius Freetime Cloth Diapers! Ends 10-09-11

2011-09-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

You're going to FLIP over this great giveaway sponsored by Diaper Junction! They've agreed to send one lucky Cloth Diaper Geek Fan three of the new bumGenius Freetime cloth diapers as soon as they arrive in December. That means you'd be one of the first to receive this hot new product!

In case you haven't yet heard of the Freetime Diaper, here's the scoop.

It's a One Size All In One Cloth Diaper.
The two super absorbent inserts are semi-attached and flap over top of each other. This feature allows for a much faster dry time than other AIO's.
3 x 3 Snap Down rise which allows this cloth diaper to fit from birth through potty training. (8-35lbs)
Also, accessible and easily replaceable elastic ensures that you'll be able to use this diaper for years to come or easily resell it.
From the makers of bumGenius!

So what do you think? Do you want to receive (3) of these great new diapers as soon as they hit the shelves at Diaper Junction? Enter to win via the Rafflecopter form below.

Sweet Pea Diapers Product Overview and Giveaway! Ends 10-06-11

2011-09-25T14:25:00.002-04:00

Sheesh! This giveaway and review has been in draft for a while, finally I have put the finishing touches on it and am ready to share it with you guys! The brand is Sweet Pea Diapers, a Canadian based company which recently started a USA Distributorship!

Sweet Pea Diapers has a wide and constantly growing assortment of products from Onesize Pocket Diapers, Covers, AI3 Systems, Prefolds, Inserts, Liners, Wipes, Wetbags, Nursing Pads and more! They have a lot to offer so you should see an increase in USA stores that carry the line.

This post will cover two of Sweet Pea Diapers great products, the AI3 Diaper and One Size Diaper.

The One Size Diaper I really liked. Not all fleece used in pocket diapers is the same and Sweet Pea's fleece interiors will make you stop and take notice. It's super soft, thick and you'll know for sure that your baby is comfortable. It has really stretchy elastic and a snap down rise in the front which is common for One Size Diapers.

The front and back pocket opening is also a really nice touch. Inserts should easily agitate out in the wash or if you like to remove them, you can pull them out from the front when there's a mess in the back that you don't want to reach in to.

This diaper fit my son who is 42lbs. He's not a super chunky kid but has a pretty solid build, and I didn't even have to use the largest setting. Each diaper comes with two super thick, quality microfiber inserts.

The AI3 System from Sweet Pea will really impress you. Same great size range as their one size diaper, snap closure and crossover tabs perfect for the obtaining the fit your little one needs.

With the AI3 there's a 3-layer hemp soaker pad that's super absorbent and snaps into the cover. Then you snap a doubler/soaker on top of that. This second doubler is 2-layers of microfiber topped with microfleece so that your little one will get that same stay dry feeling that pocket diapers provide.

I also really thought it was a nice touch that the AI3 System comes with a sample of their Biodegradable/Flushable Liners, so that you can really get a feel for what the system can do. Each Sweet Pea Diaper or Cover also has a handy little loop sewn in next to the tag so that you can easily hang the diapers to dry in your laundry room or on the clothesline.

As with most AI3 Systems, as long as the cover didn't get soiled you should easily be able to give it a light wipe down and reuse for the next diaper changing by just snapping in the clean soakers/doublers, or use with your favorite prefold or fitted.

Hemp needs to be washed 6-8 times before reaching maximum absorbency. So if you don't want to prewash that many times just keep in mind that diaper diapers function will keep improving with each wash for the first 6-8 washes.

You can read more about Sweet Pea Diapers and all the products they offer by visiting their website. There you'll find a more detailed explanation of each product as well as size charts, diagrams, washing instructions, color/prints available and more!

So now that you know more about these great diapers, would you like a chance to win one?

Sweet Pea Diapers has generously offered a Cloth Diaper Geek Fan a Owl Print AI3 Diaper (as seen in my photos) Enter for your chance to win via the Rafflecopter form below!

*Open to residents of the USA & Canada. Winner has 7 days to claim their prize. Winning entries will be verified.

Cloth Diapers vs. Disposable Diapers: The verdict, cloth IS less absorbent.

2011-09-21T12:33:00.003-04:00

...but isn't that a good thing?

So often with disposable manufacturers the issue of "maximum absorbency" is a big deal. The big name sposie manufacturers go to great lengths and spend millions to develop a product that is built to soak it up, soak it in and absorb-absorb-absorb. But in reality, is that something you really want or need?

Admittedly, the issue of absorbency is usually a great source of confusion with moms who switch from disposables to cloth. They expect cloth diapers to work just the same as disposables and are often surprised when they don't. When a cloth diaper doesn't make it through the night without leaking or a trip out to run errands, moms frequently and mistakenly think there must be something wrong with that diaper or brand.

Truth is that cloth diapers need to be changed more often than disposables, but that's not something that should be considered an awful inconvenience. With disposables sure, the longer the baby can wear the diaper the less diapers you'll use and the more money you'll save. But at what cost?

Putting yourself in your babies shoes, or let's say diaper...Would you want to sit in a wet, hot, gell filled diaper for hours on end just because it's not yet leaking? Or as a toddler, would you want to be toddling around with a five pound bag of hot jelly swinging around between your legs when you've just learned to walk? I think not.

Personally, I was happy to be a little inconvenienced by having more frequent diaper changes when I realized the alternative: Letting baby sit in a soiled diaper just because I can. It's a gross thought.

That's my two cents. I feel the case for cloth is stacked against disposables for just this one simple fact, and I didn't even need to mention the health risks, chemical and carcinogen exposure associated with the use of disposables.

Julie

Winner of the BeBeMellons Cloth Diaper Giveaway is...@Caedmen aka Rachel!

2011-09-19T08:34:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for entering my bebeMellons Giveaway! I'm happy to give some exposure to a work-at-home-mom business, also a handmade cloth diaper maker! bebeMellon's cloth diapers are excellent quality and the winner is one lucky gal!

Rafflecopter chose the winner and it is Rachel, aka @Caedmen on Twitter! Rachel, congrats! Please check your email for a notification from me and to claim your prize!

BIG thanks to bebeMellons for the great giveaway!

Sponsor Spotlight: Get to know Carissa from WeeWillieWinks!

2011-09-14T13:13:00.000-04:00

Today I'm featuring a brief interview with one of my sponsors, Carissa! She's the owner of WeeWillieWinks based out of the Orlando Florida area, just about an hour west of where I live on the East Coast of Florida.

Read the interview below and don't forget to check out the special offer just for Cloth Diaper Geek fans at the bottom of the post!

Tell me a little about you and your family?
My name is Carissa. I'm blissfully married to my college roommates cousin! We dated for five years before we married. We've been married for 5 years. After a couple years we were blessed with a spirited little boy. He definitely keeps us on our toes. We are planning to homeschool him. Therefore, between running a business and a household, we work on learning about the word around us. We'd love to have more kids, but unfortunately we haven't been blessed with another yet. After a long time trying on our own we have started infertility treatments and are hoping to expand our family soon.

Where are you located?
We are right outside Orlando, Fl in Winter Springs.

Do you currently have any little ones in cloth diapers?
No, sadly. I miss the fluffy butt.

What was your very first cloth diaper?
Thirsties Pocket AIOs.

What is your favorite part about owning your own business?
Waking up with my son everyday and being able to snuggle in bed without having somewhere to be.

What business accomplishment are you most proud of?
Supporting my community. I love being the local go to gal for cloth diapers!

What is one business goal you have for the future?
I'd love to open a B&M in the future when my son is older and doesn't need me all day. :)

Best advice you'd have for a newbie considering cloth diapers?
Try a couple different products before settling on one. Every cloth diaper fits each baby different.

Special Offer: Save $5 off an order of $30 or more at WeeWillieWinks when you use code ClothDiaperGeek at checkout!

A bebeMellons Cloth Diaper Review & Giveaway! CLOSED

2011-09-06T19:55:00.001-04:00

Ok you all know how Ga Ga I am over promoting small business owners, specifically cloth diaper businesses right? Well today I have a great mama to feature who makes really cute and comfy cloth diapers!

Mary-Ellen is her name and bebeMellons is her business. She sells her fluffy handiwork on etsy in her bebeMellons shop. I first met Mary-Ellen during the weekly Monday night #clothdiapers chats on twitter, I then became a Facebook Fan of hers and an admirer of her diapers which all feature super cute unique names.

She sent me a one size fitted to take a look at in person so that I could share with you all my thoughts and review.

First of all I want to point out that Mary-Ellen's sewing is impeccable. I can tell that she takes her time, there are no skipped stitches or random strings hanging out, and her diapers are made of the best quality materials.

This one size fitted is made of cotton and hemp. The interior of the diaper is a super soft cotton/poly blend, aka velour, as is the top of the hemp soaker pad which you can see snaps into the diaper. If extra absorbency is needed you can add it.

My number one favorite part about bebeMellons one size cloth diapers is the fold over design as opposed to the snap down rise. I often think the snap down rise is kind of unsightly compared to no snaps and this fold down technique works just as well. The snaps adjust and the tabs can crossover allowing you to size down for the tiniest of babies and unsnap to accommodate larger ones.

What's inside? Sewn inside the diaper is a hidden layer of hemp for extra absorbency. Remember, absorbency is not the same as being waterproof. Fitted diapers like this one require a waterproof cover. bebeMellons also makes waterproof All-In-One Diapers, or Diaper Covers you can purchase to use with her fitteds.

bebeMellons has a really great selection of custom print cloth diapers in her etsy store and she also takes custom orders. If you don't see a print or color combo you like, just shoot her a message or contact Mary-Ellen on faceBook and you can work out a deal for your very own one-of-a-kind diaper!

PS, I was not compensated in any way for this review and even sending me a diaper was optional, not required in order for me to host a giveaway.

Want to win your very own bebeMellons Diaper?

My kids love Imagination Box Company and yours will too!

2011-09-05T10:22:00.000-04:00

I was recently given the opportunity to review a great product from Imagination Box Co. The best part, I'm just doing the writing, my kids were actually the ones doing the reviewing.

From the moment I heard about Imagination Box Co. I just knew my kids would love the chance to paint their very own playhouse/toy. We already have had a lot of fun decorating our own boxes, so a box that looks like a castle tower...that would be a dream come true!

Kim, the owner was a pleasure to deal with and I just love supporting small businesses. She sent us a Castle Tower to try and I kept it a secret from my kids until it arrived. They're always asking me if they can paint and I just knew this project would blow their mind.

So before I go on with the review, let me fill you in on the lovely people behind Imagination Box Co.!

Kim and Russ created Imagination Box Co. in 2007. Their vision, to provide creative, fun, educational, eco-friendly toys that are safe for children and safe for the environment.

Speaking of the environment, it's refreshing to see a green company such as Imagination Box Co., where the owners and creators of the product they sell actually practice what they preach. So many new "green" companies are being run by corporations and individuals who aren't green at all, they're just interested in making green dollar bills!

Kim and Russ reside on five acres in Idaho where they live in an environmentally sensitive dwelling called a yurt! They homeschooled their daughters and Imagination Box Co. was born after they began making toys for them out of recyclable boxes and cardboard!

My kids review of the Castle Tower:
The Castle Tower from Imagination Box Co arrived in a recyclable box, of course, and within moments of showing it to my kids we had it put together. It did come with directions but before I could even refer to them my kids were telling me what went where and how to do it.

They were eager to get started painting it, that's where we encountered a little trouble. Let me remind you, I have two 4 yr old sons and an 8 yr old daughter. Upon seeing the Castle Tower my daughter had her mind made up that it would be painted so delicately and realistically that it would look like a real castle. My sons on the other hand, had other painting techniques in mind.

There was some fussing, my daughter was not too pleased that they were going against her wishes. I reminded her that we could always paint over it later if there's a part of it she'd like to re-do. It's a very sturdy cardboard and could easily be worked on and saved for a long time.

Complete with drawbridges, three floors and decorative shields that can be painted and used or applied to the castle for decoration, this castle tower would be a hit for any child or children. It can simply be admired as a work of art of played with like a dollhouse when you're done.

Our Castle Tower is still a work in progress and I like that about it. Overall, I would definitely recommend you try a box from Imagination Box Co. We love ours and I know your family would love one too!

Special Offer: Imagination Box Co. has their products marked down 40% off and is also offering an additional 10% off for Cloth Diaper Geek fans! Use code "Cloth Diaper Geek" at checkout!

Newsflash: GoGreen Diapers meets Mudbutt, Are you drooling yet?

2011-09-02T18:16:00.000-04:00

September 2, 2011
Boulder, CO

For Immediate Release

Two up and coming names in the cloth diapering world have just collided! As GoGreen Diapers ascends steadily in sales and recognition in the ever-growing cloth diapering market, they've commissioned Carrie Peterson of Mud Butt Cloth Diapers to create an exclusive line of Mud Butt for GoGreen Diapers -- a premium, American, SAHM and handmade cloth diaper line worthy of becoming every fashionista's go-to "stash" choice. Available only through GoGreen, (www.gogreenpocketdiapers.com), a fluffy frenzy is expected once the new diapers, expected at anytime, are revealed and made available for purchase.


Sneak Peek at the new diapers!

So what do you think? Will you be stalking the GoGreen website?

Should the Mystery Print simply have been referred to as a Mystery diaper?

2011-09-01T09:21:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot of hype in the last few days about the Fuzzi Bunz Mystery Print Promotion. The deal was, you purchase SIX Fuzzi Bunz of your choice and then send in a rebate form to FB and they'll send you TWO totally free cloth diapers! The problem came from the fact that one of the free diapers was to be a super secret Mystery Print and we all know how bonkers mamas get over cute new prints!

When anything is kept a secret and promoted like crazy people begin to speculate. Would it be owls or monkeys, autism awareness or tie dye, floral or argyle? Mamas became sure that this new print diaper was to be the latest and greatest in what might be a new line of Fuzzi Bunz print cloth diapers.

So when it came to light that the new prints were actually white Fuzzi Bunz with a screenprinted graphic on the bum, you can imagine some, well actually a lot, of people are disappointed.

What do I think? Well I think that due to strict MSRP's on popular cloth diapers, consumers should be happy to have the option (you did not have to buy them) to save some money on one of the leading cloth diaper brands. TWO free diapers is nothing to sneeze at and from what I know, no one was charged shipping to receive their free cloth diapers.

Perhaps the wording could have been a little different, perhaps the "prints" should not have been a mystery.

I personally wonder, if the promotion was simply for two free Fuzzi Bunz diapers and when they arrived one had a screenprinted image on the back, would families have then been excited to have received something other than just plain diapers? I think that might have been the case for a lot of moms.

The bottom line is that families had a choice in whether or not to take advantage of the promotion and if they're willing to buy SIX diapers at full price just on the off chance that they'll get a cute diaper for free then well, it was their decision. On the plus side, they are Fuzzi Bunz, and you can always cover up the diaper with clothes if you don't like the design.

Winner of the Bummis Cloth Diaper Covers from FluffyRump.com is...Melissa H!

2011-08-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

Thanks to FluffyRump.com for sponsoring this great giveaway and giving Cloth Diaper Geek readers a chance to win (2) Bummis Covers! The response was great, I could tell you all were eager to win!

The lucky Rafflecopter winner was Melissa H! Melissa, please check your email for a notification from us and to claim your pirze.

Want to purchase Bummis, Planetwise, Mother-ease and other great natural parenting products? Make sure you visit FluffyRump.com, they always have a great promotion going on and Free Shipping on Orders over $49!

#WestCoastCloth Twitter Party Follow Up & Winners Announcement!

2011-08-25T14:24:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to say thank you all so much for attending the #WestCoastCloth Twitter Party! I had so much fun and was so pleased to see so much interaction between guests and sponsors. There were a ton of great cloth diaper tips and information being shared, more proof as to why being a cloth diapering family rocks so much, because the Cloth Diapering community is so awesome!

There's one last giveaway open to Canadians only, here: http://www.facebook.com/ClothDiaperGeek?sk=app_204684816209053

If you'd like to be notified of future Twitter Parties please add your email to my Twitter Party Mailing list here --> *TWITTER PARTY MAILING LIST*

SPECIAL OFFERS: A lot of our sponsors have special discounts and sales for Twitter Party participants. All the sales and discount codes have been added to the corresponding stores logos in the TWITTER PARTY SPONSOR ALBUM on my FaceBook Page. You can find it here.

*Winners are listed below. Please email me at shethinksmedia@gmail.com with your details if you have not already been in contact with me.

Our Winners are:
Eco Sprout Soap http://www.ecosproutsoap.com/

luluf, @lulubunny1 - Winner of EcoSprout Soap, Bottom Balm & Stick

Kelly Wels, Changing Diapers Book http://www.changingdiapers.com/

Melissa Alexander, @WhatMommyWants - Winner of (1) Copy of Kelly's Changing Diapers Book

Rockin Green Soap http://www.rockingreensoap.com/

Jena Lohrbach, @muse2323 - Winner of 90/180 Bag of Rockin Green Soap

Diaper Junction http://www.diaperjunction.com/

Amber Green, @CadencesMommy1 - Winner of $25 GC to Diaper Junction

Cloth Diaper Outlet http://www.clothdiaperoutlet.com

Marlo Biggs, @littledahling - Winner of Palm Tree One Size Diaper Cover
Amy Stuber, @adstuber - Winner of Palm Tree One Size Diaper Cover

Knickernappies http://www.knickernappies.com/

Melanie Judge, @PhDserts - Winner of Knickernappies Custom Fit Diaper & Insert

Green Diaper Store http://www.greendiaperstore.com

Angie LaMunyon, @angelaniel - Winner of Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diaper

Little For Now http://www.littlefornow.com/

Kristina Severson, @happymama28 - Winner of Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diaper

Rock Easy Diaper Company http://www.rockeasydiapercompany.com/

Tiffany Uchida, @o0tiffyo0 - Winner of $15 off $50 Voucher

Go Green Pocket Diapers http://www.gogreenpocketdiapers.com/

Tosha P, @diddlepoyner - Winner of GoGreen Champ 2.0 Pocket Diaper

Evolution Diapers

Rachel Neufeld, @caedmen - Grand Prize Winner of (6) Evolution Ion Diapers

Tiny Tush http://www.tinytush.com/

Nicole Robinson, @nicirobinson - Winner of Tiny Tush Limited Edition Print Diaper

Fuzzi Bunz http://www.fuzzibunz.com/

Lori Whitlock, @thegnomesmom -Winner of FuzziBunz Perfect Fit Diaper
Lindsy Sabatinni, @lindso - Winner of Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size, Hanging Pail, Zippered Tote

Hiney Lineys http://www.hineylineys.com/

Darcy Zalewski, @Syrana - Winner of Hiney Liney Versa Cover & Liney

Double Duty Mommy http://www.doubledutymommy.com/

Jennifer Hill - Winner of AppleCheeks Lil Bundle
Corrin Rosales - Winner of AppleCheeks Storage Sack
Kara McIntee, @ALTmommy - Winner of Apple Cheeks Lil Bundle & Storage Sack

The Green Nursery http://www.thegreennursery.com/

Vanessa Coker, @VanessaCoker - Winner of $20 GC to Green Nursery

Little Monkey Store http://www.littlemonkeysto/re.com/

Giveaway Open to Canadians only, visit Cloth Diaper Geek on FaceBook to enter!

Eco Nuts Soap http://www.econutssoap.com/

Chrystal Bingham, @monkeysohana - Winner of 4oz bottle of Eco Nuts Soap
Carol Noren, @monkeysohana - Winner of 4oz bottle of Eco Nuts Soap

Thanks so much!

Cloth Diaper Twitter Party, August 23rd! Have you RSVP'd yet?

2011-08-21T22:43:00.003-04:00

Have you RSVP'd for the Twitter Party yet?

When: Tuesday August 23, 2011
Time: 8pm PST, 11pm EST
Hashtag: #WestCoastCloth (open to everyone, not just the west coast)

*The Twitter Party is open to ALL, worldwide, however the time is 8pm Pacific, making this party a little more convenient for West Coast families.

Random Prizes: Our generous sponsors have donated Fuzzi Bunz, GoGreen, TinyTush, Evolution, Knickernappies, AppleCheeks, HineyLineys, Palm Tree Diapers, EcoSprout Soap, Rockin' Green Soap, Kelly Wels Changing Diapers Book, Gift Certificates and more!

Grand Prize: A 6-Pack of Evolution Diapers ION OneSize Cloth Diapers!

Details: Winners will be chosen at random from the RSVP list. You do not have to be present to win the random prizes but the Grand Prize Winner must have been present to win (minimum 1 tweet during the party with the #westcoastcloth hashtag).

To RSVP: Click here to RSVP to attend and become eligible to win!

Sponsors:

Winner of the Fuzzi Bunz Diaper & Temporary Tattoo from Kelly Wels is...

2011-08-21T08:27:00.000-04:00

Wow, thank you all so much for entering the Giveaway sponsored by Kelly Wels! She generously donated a Fuzzi Bunz Cloth Diaper and Temporary Tattoo to one lucky winner. You all must have been excited to win because we had almost 900 entries!

Random.org chose the lucky winner and it was...Entry 200!

The owner of entry 200 is Virginia L. She'll be receiving a One Size Fuzzi Bunz and Changing Diapers/Hip Mom's Temporary Tattoo .

Don't forget about the SPECIAL OFFER:

Save 50% off your purchase of the Changing Diapers: The Hip Moms Guide to Cloth Diapering book with code CDGEEK at checkout. Valid through September 7, 2011.

Despite popular opinion...Dressing twins in the same clothes is not going to turn them into freaks.

2011-08-18T18:43:00.003-04:00

If you would have told me that I'd be the mama to identical twins when I grew up I would have died laughing. The thought never crossed my mind and having been an only child myself, kids in general weren't on my mind much at all until my mid-twenties.

So, fast forward to 2006, my husband and I find out we're expecting twins. Heart attack! We're told that we won't know if they're identical until they're born (along with a ton of other misinformation about carrying multiples) and while they're in utero I read all sorts of books about twin pregnancies and raising twins, hoping to soak up all the information I can.

We all know, pregnant with twins, a singleton, your first child or your fifth child, people want to share with you their thoughts, beliefs, experiences, opinions, stories and other random things you later wish you could permanently erase from your memory. Theses apparently "informed" individuals suggest you make them have separate bedrooms, different classes, different friends, activities and for the love of god they warn-DO NOT make them wear the same outfit.

At 4 weeks old we found out our sons were identical, this year my sons will be 5yrs old. They're BFF's and I know they will be their entire lives. I've come to realize that having an identical twin is not something that parents or outsiders should try to fix. One doesn't need to be saved from the other. The bond between two identical twins is like nothing I've ever witnessed and I feel blessed every day to have been chosen to be their mother.

They are absolutely perfectly identical and in sync with each other in so many ways, yet both are completely unique without any intervention at all. Dressing them the same, which I do from time to time, is absolutely harmless and nobody's business but mine. Their connection with each other runs deeper than the cut of their hair, the clothes on their back or the classes that they're in. I see no need to prematurely "break them up" or separate them of each other.

In time they'll no doubt go their own way and choose their own paths, but if they don't, if they choose to have the same career, share an apartment, never marry and grow old together, then I'd still be one of the happiest proudest mamas alive. They know better than anyone what it means to be a twin, an identical, and I trust life to continue to let the magic happen, I plan to simply stand back and watch.

Sponsor Spotlight: Interview with Stefanie of FluffyRump & Bummis Giveaway! Ends 08-27-11

2011-08-18T14:20:00.002-04:00

Today I'm featuring a new cloth diaper retailer and sponsor of mine, Stefanie of FluffyRump! She's also sponsoring a great giveaway! One lucky family will WIN (2) Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Covers or (2) Bummis Super Lite Wraps in the size and color of their choice!

Read the interview below and get to know Stefanie and FluffyRump a little better!

Where are you located?
San Juan, Puerto Rico!

Do you currently have any little ones in cloth diapers?
Yes, my 18 month old son is in cloth diapers!

What was your very first cloth diaper?
Our very first cloth diaper was a Fuzzibunz Perfect Size Diaper in Medium.

What is your favorite part about owning your own business?
I enjoy getting to work so closely with my husband the most.

What business accomplishment are you most proud of?
In less than two months, we now have customers in Canada, the US and Puerto Rico!

What is one business goal you have for the future?
In the future we hope to offer a wider variety of "green" products for the whole family.

Best advice you'd have for a newbie considering cloth diapers?
Start simple. One can easily get overwhelmed with too much cloth diaper research. Try to get a recommendation from someone you trust and buy just a couple to start. I bought my first three pack of Fuzzibunz cloth diapers after a friend recommended them and they are the main cloth diaper I still use.

FluffyRump offers Free Shipping on orders over $49.00.

Win It!
FluffyRump has generously offered to give a lucky Cloth Diaper Geek Fans their choice of either (2) Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Covers or (2) Bummis Super Lite Wrap Covers in the size and color of their choice!

Super Whisper Wrap Cover

Super Lite Wrap Cover
*Submit your entries into this giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below.

Buy SIX FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers, Get TWO Free! This deal rocks!

2011-08-16T13:45:00.001-04:00

This deal, valid through September 30th, 2011, is seriously one of the best I have seen all year! Almost too good to be true but it's not!

Now through September 30, 2011 when you purchase SIX FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers (see retailers below) you can submit an easy for to FuzziBunz and they'll send you TWO for free!

Please visit the retails below, whom I love, and check out their great in-stock selections of FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers and more!

Where to shop for Fuzzi Bunz:

Cloth Diaper Outlet: Tons of Fuzzi Bunz and other cloth diapers to choose from. Free Shipping on USA Orders over $35! Visit their Discount Menu for details.
Cute Caboose: Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers and other popular brands you know and can trust. Make sure to check them out on FaceBook as well for sales and updates.
Diaper Junction: Great selection of cloth diapers including Fuzzi Bunz and Free Shipping on Orders over $49!
Diva Diapers: Fuzzi Bunz and much more, plus Free USA Shipping on Orders over $99. Plus you can save more when you redeem your Diva Diaper Dollars towards future purchases.
Earthy Crunchy Mama: A fabulous cloth diapering and natural parenting boutique. Great cloth diaper selection, resources and more! Free Shipping on orders over $75!
FluffyRump: Free Shipping on cloth diapers and accessories on orders over $49! Great in stock selection. Like them on FaceBook for updates and other specials. Fuzzi Bunz, Bum Genius and more!
Green Diaper Store: Not your average cloth diaper boutique. Green Diaper Store carries cloth diapers, including Fuzz Bunz, as well as a ton of eco-friendly family and household items. Free Shipping on orders over $79!
Sweet Little Blessings: Free USA Shipping on orders over $40! Lot's of great cloth diapers and accessories to choose from.
Wee Willie Winks: Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers and natural parenting products for the whole family. Free Shipping on orders over $50 and free local pickup or delivery in the Orlando, Florida area.

All of the above retailers carry FuzziBunz and your purchases will be available for the Buy SIX Get TWO Free Promotion! Please contact them individually with your questions or concerns.

Thanks!

TEN Winners of the Organic Ergo Front Pouches/Purses are...

2011-08-16T09:52:00.003-04:00

Wowzer, I am in disbelief at how easy Rafflecopter just made this giveaway! The 10 lucky winners are below! Please email me shethinksmedia(at)gmail.com or wait for an email notification from me in order to claim your prizes.

Again, BIG thanks to Ergo and all our other great #HauteGreen Social Hour sponsors for making our event in San Diego such a huge success! We really appreciate it!

Another beautiful song I must share!

2011-08-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

drool...

Enter to win 1 of 10 #HauteGreen Organic Ergo Front Pouches! CLOSED

2011-08-13T14:45:00.004-04:00

Hey guys! How about a quick and painless giveaway with a ton of entries you can gain within moments?

Recently at BlogHer'11 in San Diego I had the pleasure of co-hosting a green event titled #HauteGreen Social Hour! Ergo was one of our great sponsors and I was able to bring home some extra swag to gift out to you all thanks to Ergo!

We have (10) Organic Ergo Front Pouches up for grabs! Retail Value $28.00 each

This accessory has tremendous versatility. Velcro attaches the pouch around the waist belt when the ERGO baby carrier is worn on the front, back or hip. It comes with a shoulder strap so you can carry your personals with you even when you are not using the ERGObaby carrier. A wallet, checkbook, cell phone, sunglasses, keys, a small notebook, pen, passport, and tickets are types of items that will fit in the pouch. A component of ERGObaby's HandsFree System.

*You can use the Ergo front pouch with shoulder strap as a mini purse, without an Ergo. So you do not have to have an Ergo in order to use or win this great prize!

All entry methods are optional. Simply LIKE Ergo's FaceBook Page and the pages of my co-hosts for multiple entries into this great giveaway.

TEN winners will be chosen at midnight August 15, 2011.

Orlando Florida Cloth Diapering Resources!

2011-08-13T10:39:00.001-04:00

WeeWillieWinks of Central Florida is a great resource for cloth diapering, natural parenting and more! Carissa the owner is a sweetheart and great to work with. Here's a little bit you might not know about WeeWillieWinks and the Cloth Diaper Community in the Orlando, Florida area!

When Carissa, the owner of WeeWillieWinks, was shopping for her son’s pocket diapers she found that, although there’s nothing quite as fun as fluffy mail, she would have liked the opportunity to see and feel the items before she purchased them. She is happy to offer that option to Orlando-area parents by hosting monthly cloth diaper meetings.

Please contact carissa@weewilliewinks.com with questions on any of the options below.

Orlando Cloth Diaper Lovers

Please click the heading above to join the Yahoo group and stay informed on monthly cloth diaper meetings. The meetings typically cover a basic overview of cloth options and then a lot of cloth diaper chatter. Please bring your favorite cloth diaper to share with the group or a lot of questions if you're just getting started.

Local Order Pickup
Many of our Orlando-area families prefer to pick up their order and save on shipping costs. If you would like to pick up your order, please choose Customer Pickup during check out. WWW will then contact you to coordinate a time.

Central Florida Birth Network
The mission of CFBN is to educate, support and empower women and their families throughout the birth process; emphasizing birth as a normal and positive event. This is an incredible group of women and birth professionals. If you are planning a birth, please visit the site and use the resources to find support for this wonderful event in your life.

Not a local to WeeWillieWinks? Don't worry, WWW offers Free USA Shipping on orders over $50.00!

Fluff In Nature Photo Contest at HappilyDomestic's Blog!

2011-08-12T18:57:00.000-04:00

This contest is being hosted on the Happily Domestic Blog!

Get out your cameras, grab that cute cloth diaper baby of yours and get into nature! It's time for the Fluff in Nature photo contest!

Fluff Fest is here and we here at Happily Domestic are so excited! To make this cloth diaper event a little more special I thought it would be fun to have a photo contest.

Contest is sponsored by Nifty Nappy Cloth Diapers!

There will even be 2 winners!!! Here are the official rules....

Only one picture can be submitted per household
All entries must be received no later than 8pm (MST) on August 20th 2011
Photos should be photo shoot quality, but not professionally taken (we want pictures taken by you!)
Must show Fluff, not just cute babies! (ANY CLOTH DIAPER BRAND/STYLE IS OKAY)
Please include your child's first name, age and your email address along with photo
Email all entries to FluffInNature@yahoo.com
Winners will be chosen by Vilate of Nifty Nappy Cloth Diapers and announced on this blog on August 31st.
All contest photos will be made into a fun cloth diaper slideshow and be posted on Happily Domestic as well as You Tube

For more contest details and tips on taking great photos please visit the Happily Domestic Blog!

Changing Diapers by Kelly Wels makes the decision to use cloth diapers an easy one!

2011-08-10T13:27:00.001-04:00

As a former cloth diaper retailer who seriously admired the virtual cloth diaper empire that Kelly Wels had built, I was eager to read her new book Changing Diapers: The Hip Moms Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering. I was excited to learn that someone had stepped up to the bat as an adovate for cloth and had brought to the market a realistic portrayal of cloth diapers and the families who use them.

I am a green mom, probably more of a medium shade of green, but I am certainly on the green spectrum and a cloth diaper lover and advocate myself. Most people picture a cloth diapering family as a mom and dad all decked out in Birkenstock sandals, growing their own gardens and driving a VW bus. Truth is, cloth diapers are just as popular with modern, hip and eco-conscious families as they are with the totally crunchy, granola making crowd. Kelly's book does a great job at really reaching out beyond the stereotypical cloth diapering audience letting new mamas and papas who are considering cloth diapers know that it IS for them too. You CAN live in a big city, wear high heels, be a haute mommy, or a daddy with a corporate job AND use modern cloth diapers.

Some parts of the Changing Diapers book that I was particularly impressed by are the diagrams and explanations of the different types of diapers and how to use them. There really are a lot of choices and they can overwhelm cloth diapering newbies to the point that they become completely turned off and decide cloth is just too complicated for them. With Kelly's book, readers can see the styles as well as read about them.
I also love the information about what's really in disposable diapers. Families do need to know about all the chemicals and toxins found in disposables and Kelly really did her homework. She's got everything you should know about disposables right there in one easy to read chapter.

The best part, well I am a little partial because I am a mother of twins, was the chapter on cloth diapering multiples and special needs children. Kelly really gives families practical advice on how many you'll need, what styles and sizes are best and what you can expect, no guesswork required. She also points out some great tips for what to buy and how to shop, when you're going to be purchasing cloth diapers in bulk.

Overall, I give Kelly's book Changing Diapers: The Hip Moms Guide to Cloth Diapering, two thumbs up! Both in quality and in content, this book is a must-have for any cloth diapering mama or papa who like to advocate cloth. You can simply lend it out as needed, or purchase a copy for friends who are expecting or considering switching to cloth. This would be the ideal baby shower gift. In fact, after reading Kelly's book I honestly think that this book should be read BEFORE you turn to the internet for your cloth diaper research or shopping. After you read it you'll know exactly where to look and what to buy, within no time Kelly will have made a cloth diaper believer out of you!

Special Offer: Save 50% off the purchase of Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Cloth Diapering when you order between now and September 7, 2011. Use code CDGEEK at checkout! Click here to order.

A giveaway from Kelly Wels! Enter to win a Fuzzi Bunz Diaper & Temporary Tattoo! CLOSED

2011-08-10T13:22:00.003-04:00

To accompany my review of Kelly Wels new book, Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering, Kelly is also sponsoring a great giveaway!

Lots of easy ways to enter, make sure to read all the details below.

The Prize:

(1) Fuzzi Bunz One Size Cloth Pocket Diaper
(1) Changing Diapers/Hip Mom Temporary Tattoo (seen below)

The Giveaway Guidelines & Rules:

First entry requirement is to leave a comment letting Kelly and I know why you'd like to win this Fuzzi Bunz Cloth Diaper & Temporary tattoo!
Please comment once per entry so that you are entered the correct number of times in the giveaway.
Make sure you either leave your email address, blog or website address in each comment or make sure you are logged in to your Blogger account so that we can be sure to have a way of reaching you should you win.
Contest is open to participants in the USA & Canada.
Winner is chosen via random.org and winning announcements are posted on the Blog & FaceBook.
Participants have 7 days from close of giveaway to respond and claim their prize.

Additional Methods of Entry:

(1) Become a fan Kelly Wels on FaceBook or already be a Fan, and leave a comment letting them know that @ClothDiaperGeek sent you!
(1) Become a fan of Changing Diapers Book on FaceBook or already be a Fan, and leave a comment letting them know that @ClothDiaperGeek sent you!
(1) Follow KellyWels on Twitter
(10) Purchase a copy of Kelly's book during this givaway and leave the name you ordered under and where you ordered from with your entries. * Use code GDGEEK for 25% off through September 7, 2011. Click here to order.
(3) Upload a photo of your little one in any cloth diaper to the Cloth Diaper Geek Facebook Wall
(2) *New* Have a Google Account? Click the Google +1 Button at the bottom of this blog post.
(1) Become a Fan of Cloth Diaper Geek on FaceBook
(1) Follow the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog
(1) Follow my other Blog She Thinks Media
(1) Become a Fan of my other FB Page, She Thinks Media
(1) Follow the Cloth Diaper Geek on Twitter
(1) RSVP for the August 23rd Cloth Diaper Twitter Party here--->http://ow.ly/5ZW90
(3) Tweet this "Enter to #win a @FuzziBunz #clothdiaper from @Kelly Wels on the @clothdiapergeek blog! --->http://ow.ly/5ZX0g" (limit 2 x per day)
(3) Blog about this Giveaway on your Blog, must include a link to this giveaway post
(3) Announce this Giveaway on FaceBook and tag @ClothDiaperGeek FaceBook Page in your post and link to this Giveaway Post. (limit 1 x per day)
(3) Add or have already added the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog Button to your website or blog. Comment with the URL to where you placed it.

*Giveaway ends August 19, 2011 at midnight and winner will be announced and contacted on August 20, 2011.

Special Offer: Save 50% off Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering with code CDGEEK through Sept 7, 2011.

Winner of the Rumparoos Pocket Diaper is...Kitsune, @christinekangas!

2011-08-10T10:41:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the awesome response to the Rumparooz Pocket Diaper from Sweet Little Blessings! I am in awe of the turnout and thanks so much for liking Sweet Little Blessings on Facebook and showing Colleen a little love from the Cloth Diaper Geek fan club!

My buddies at Random.org chose the winner again and this time the winner was lucky entry 379 which belongs to Kitsune, @christinekangas! Please check your email for a notification from us and to claim your prize!

Want to enter another giveaway? Well good, because I'll have another one up momentarily!

Earn Fluffy Points when you shop at FluffyRump!

2011-08-08T10:00:00.003-04:00

Have you heard of FluffyRump? They're a fairly new cloth diaper store, sure to become a favorite for cloth diapering families. FluffyRump carriers some of the best brands of cloth diapers and accessories and they are constantly having new sales and promotions . You should definitely be following them on FaceBook so that you'll be notified of all their announcements. Stefanie, the owner of FluffyRump also has a great blog, Cloth Diaper Living. that you should check out.

One great promotion you'll find at FluffyRump.com is their Fluffy Rewards Points!

Earn 1 Fluffy Point for each dollar spent on merchandise at FluffyRump.com. Any points earned can be redeemed on check out on your next purchase or saved up for one special item!
The value of each point is 1¢.

Fluffy Points have no cash value and can only be used as credit towards purchases.

A New Winner for our Itti Bitti Diaper Giveaway! It is...Raquel B!

2011-08-02T17:51:00.000-04:00

Congrats to lucky comment 103! That entry belongs to Raquel B! Due to the first winner never claiming their prize, she's the FAB new owner of an Itti Bitti OS Diaper! Woot!

Raquel, please check your email for a notification and to claim your prize!

Sponsor Spotlight: Coleen of Sweet Little Blessings + a Rumparooz OS Cloth Diaper Giveaway! CLOSED

2011-07-28T11:47:00.002-04:00

Tell me a little about you and your family?
My name is Coleen and I am the owner of Sweet Little Blessings. My husband Kevin and I have 12 children, so I've had lots of cloth diapering experience! We have 9 boys and 3 girls from 17 years to 10 months. In my spare time I love to sew, scrapbook and read. Most of all, I enjoy homeschooling and spending time with my husband and children.

Where are you located?
In Lancaster, PA

Do you currently have any little ones in cloth diapers?
Right now I have 2 in cloth diapers and one who is working on potty training.

What was your very first cloth diaper?
I think the first cloth diaper I ever bought was a Kushies all in one I saw in a catalog after our 4th baby was born. That was a long time ago! I even sewed some diapers for him myself. After that I started researching cloth diapers and found FuzziBunz and bumGenius. Now I have all kinds of diapers in my stash!

What is your favorite part about owning your own business?
That I can be at home with my children! I also enjoy talking with other moms and answering questions. It is fun to be able to see all the new products too!

What business accomplishment are you most proud of?
That I was able to build my website myself, especially since I had very little computer experience!

What is one business goal you have for the future?
I would like to add a blog to my site and for my business to continue to grow.

Best advice you'd have for a newbie considering cloth diapers?
Try not to be overwhelmed by all the options and information on cloth diapering! It is really easy!

Special Discount for Cloth Diaper Geek Fans!
Use coupon code ClothDiaperGeek to save 10% off any order *Expires 08/05/11.

Enter to win a Rumparooz One Size Cloth Diaper

from Sweet Little Blessings!

The Prize: (1) Rumparooz One Size Cloth Diaper, MSRP $23.50

The Giveaway Guidelines & Rules:

First entry requirement is to go to Sweet Little Blessings, check out their selection of One Size Cloth Diapers and come back here to comment as your first entry with which is your favorite!
Please comment once per entry so that you are entered the correct number of times in the giveaway.
Make sure you either leave your email address, blog or website address in each comment or make sure you are logged in to your Blogger account so that we can be sure to have a way of reaching you should you win.
Contest is open to participants in the USA & Canada.
Winner is chosen via random.org and winning announcements are posted on the Blog & FaceBook.
Participants have 7 days from close of giveaway to respond and claim their prize.

Additional Methods of Entry:

(1) Become a Fan of Sweet Little Blessings on FaceBook or already be a Fan, and leave a comment letting them know that @ClothDiaperGeek sent you!
(3) Upload a photo of your little one in an Rumparooz Diaper to the Sweet Little Blessings FaceBook Page Wall and then tag Cloth Diaper Geek FaceBook Page (@ClothDiaperGeek) in the photo!
(2) *New* Have a Google Account? Click the Google +1 Button at the bottom of this blog post.
(1) *New* RSVP for the #WestCoastCloth Cloth Diapers Twitter Party on August 23. (leave the name you rsvp'd with in your entry)
(1) Become a Fan of Cloth Diaper Geek on FaceBook
(1) Follow the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog
(1) Follow my other Blog She Thinks Media
(1) Become a Fan of my other FB Page, She Thinks Media
(1) Follow the Cloth Diaper Geek on Twitter
(3) Tweet this "Enter to #win a @Rumaprooz OS #clothdiapers on the @clothdiapergeek blog! --->http://ow.ly/5PBmQ" (limit 1 x per day)
(3) Tweet this "Save 10% on #clothdiapers Sweet Little Blessings with code "ClothDiaperGeek" at checkout!-->http://ow.ly/5PBsf " (limit 1 x per day)
(3) Blog about this Giveaway on your Blog, must include a link to this giveaway post
(3) Announce this Giveaway on FaceBook and tag @ClothDiaperGeek FaceBook Page in your post and link to this Giveaway Post. (limit 1 x per day)
(3) Add or have already added the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog Button to your website or blog. Comment with the URL to where you placed it.

*Giveaway ends August 07, 2011 at midnight and winner will be announced and contacted on August 08, 2011.

Announcing the #WestCoastCloth Cloth Diapers Twitter Party! August 23, 2011 @8pm PST

2011-07-27T17:31:00.004-04:00

When: Tuesday August 23, 2011
Time: 8pm-9pm PST (that's 11pm EST)
Hashhtag: #WestCoastCloth

Sponsors: See Below

This Twitter Party is for cloth diaper loving families worldwide but this time around we've picked a time that would benefit the mamas and papas on the West Coast. Generally times are always so convenient for East Coasters, this time we want the Wet Coast families to be able to make an appearance.

We'll be tweeting live from 8-9pm PST. We'll have tons of sponsors, prizes and great conversation about anything and everything cloth related. All random prize and grad prize winners will be announced during the party and winners will have been chosen from those who have RSVP'd.

The more sponsors, the more prizes we have to give out! Help us spread the word by sharing this link http://ow.ly/5OXHh with all your favorite brands and retailers asking them to sponsor our fabulous #WestCoastCloth Twitter Party!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

For best results please follow me:
http://www.facebook.com/clothdiapergeek
http://www.twitter.com/clothdiapergeek
Prizes will be tweeted by me using:
http://www.facebook.com/shethinksmedia
http://www.twitter.com/shethinksmedia
Sponsors: