Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative

Friday, November 11, 2011

Giving Thanks at Cottontail Baby

Happy Veteran's Day!

I am Kathleen, owner of Cottontail Baby and its sister site, Mamaclothonline and a proud member of the Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative. This is usually my favorite time of year. My young sons get so excited about Halloween and all three of them have birthdays in October or November. Those celebrations plus all the family fun of Thanksgiving make these late Fall weeks party central around here. So, all happiness, all fun, all the time. All the time, that is, until I read the newspaper.

The news many days is bleak and sad, unfortunately. Not many truly joyful things make the front page. However, lately, everything just seems particularly bad. The tragic and unbelievable activities unfolding at Penn State, the sordid accusations in the Presidential campaign, the teetering economy in Greece, earthquakes in Turkey, flooding in Thailand, even pox parties. What is going on?

I noticed that several of my friends are updating their Facebook statuses each day with an item for which they are Thankful. A wonderful November tradition. Instead of writing this month's blog about Happy Heiny diapers, which was my original intention, I decided instead to write about what I am thankful for. Thankful both as a mom and as an owner of a Cloth Diaper business. I am still going to do a Happy Heiny giveaway so one of you can have something to be thankful for as well.

I am Thankful for the following Cloth Diaper products

1. Happy Heiny reusable training pants that can be customized to fit any child no matter how big or how small

2. Kozy Designs Wool Shorties with whimsical designs always make me smile

3. Mommy's Touch mamacloth in luxurious, gorgeous, bright brocade

4. Lori's Nursing Necklaces customized with each child's name make breastfeeding easier

5. Swaddlebees wipes in lime and lemon make even messy jobs fun

6. Northern Essence products...all of them....can't choose a favorite they are all so good

7. Imse Vimse cloth trainer three packs in jungle and Magic Dragon. So much more fun than the ubiquitous cartoon characters or disposable training pants

8. The wonderful utility of a prefold diaper. We use them for EVERYTHING around here

9. The new bumGenius 4.0s in Einstein and Lovelace. LOVE the new prints and LOVE their inspiration

10. Leslie's wet bags in each and every size. We use them for diapers, for wet swimming suits and for snack bags.

As a Mom I am Thankful for

1. Healthy and happy kids

2. A wonderful husband

3. Great schools and teachers

4. Supportive mom friends. No mommy wars in my world, THANKFULLY

5. Fun and friendly neighbors who are always willing to lend a hand

6. Tuesday and Thursday morning spinning classes

7. Other parents who volunteer to coach, be room parents, chaperone the field trips and carpool. My life would be so much more difficult with them not in it.

8. Sherri the barrista at my local Target's Starbucks. She always remembers my order and greets me with a smile

9. The Math Bingo app on my iPad which has lived up to its billing as a truly educational and fun tool

10. Date Night!!!

Giveaway

This month, we are giving away one of Happy Heinys super cute and super fun holiday One Size diaper. This cute bright green diaper with red snaps will be perfect all December on your little one. In order to enter the giveaway, please

1. Comment below about why you are thankful

2. Fan Cottontail Baby on Facebook

3. Fan the Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative on Facebook

4. Join the Cottontail Baby mailing list

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Moms and Bums Inventory Clearance Sale!!

Brampton's Biggest and Best Charity Mom Sale

On Saturday, Oct. 22th, Moms and Bums will once again sponsor the Mom Sale. Join us in the new larger location at the Brampton Fairgrounds (12942 Heart Lake Rd, Caledon, ON L7C 2K5) from 930 am – 130 pm.

www.momsandbums.com

The semi-annual sale sponsored by Moms and Bums natural parenting shop gives families the opportunity to get rid of those outgrown and no longer needed children's toys and clothing, while donating admission proceeds to charity. The Mom sale features over 150 vendors with used children's toys, shoes, strollers and clothing as well as a business marketplace filled with 25 local family related businesses.

We are proud to once again be sponsors of the upcoming fall Brampton Charity Mom sale. This time we are going to do things a bit differently and will be holding our year end inventory clearance at the sale. We will have some great pricing on your favorite name brand items. Nothing over $15!!!

Come visit and see our products in person! If you are looking for something specific this sale, make you sure you contact us ahead of time to let us know what you want us to bring, otherwise you will only get to see the clearance items.

$3 admission fee (grandparents and children free!) will once again benefit The Peel Children's Safety Village, a non-profit organization built by the community on land donated by the City of Brampton. The Safety Village aims to reduce the alarming rate of preventable traffic accidents, the leading cause of death for children aged one to nine.

For more information about the sale please visit The Mom Sale. Join their facebook page for $1 off admission coupon.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

How Undercover Mama Saved My Baby from Chickenpox!

Hi! I'm Bayla from Soft and Cozy Baby in Baltimore, MD.

A few weeks ago I noticed 2 itchy spots on my belly and back. I thought it was mosquito bites but had no idea how they got to my belly! Someone suggested it was poison ivy but again, almost impossible. A couple days later it turned into a blistery rash. As we were going out of town the next day, I decided to go to Patient First being that it was quite uncomfortable and I wanted to make sure it wasn't contagious.

The Doctor at Patient First took one look at it and announced, "That is definitely Shingles." Shingles?! I thought that's for old people! She said that she's seen a few young people with it lately. So am I contagious? Only if someone comes into direct contact with the lesions. But I am nursing a baby! She said my baby was likely already exposed so there's nothing I can do about it anyway. Someone can contract chickenpox from shingles, but they wouldn't contract shingles. But my 8 mo old nursling has not had the chickenpox or the vaccine, and he's the only one who has been in direct contact with my belly!

Her only advice was to keep it covered, wash my hands, and take an antiviral. I was taken off work for a week as I'm a midwife and don't want to expose my patients - just in case. I called my pediatrician who wasn't concerned. It's not dangerous for a baby at 8 months to get chicken pox.

So we went on our trip as planned. And my baby never got the chicken pox!

I attribute it to my Undercover Mama! I LOVE theUndercover Mama and wear one all the time! It is great because it just hooks to your regular nursing bra and is much cheaper than a nursing tank. I like that it keeps my belly covered while I'm nursing as I wear a lot of T-shirts. I also wear it to sleep because nursing in bed makes for a cold tummy! I think because my Undercover Mama kept my belly covered all the time, my baby was never exposed to the shingles lesion.

Another great benefit of the Undercover Mama!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Washing Diapers -- It is simple!

Hi I am Sharni and I own the Nappy Shoppe in Allen Texas. We get a lot of people who come to the store or email me who want to use cloth for the various benefits but are concerned about the washing aspect.

It is easy! I promise you are not required to have a stream in the back yard with rocks to pound on the diapers. Your washing machine does all of the work! When I was washing diapers I was doing 2-3 loads of diaper wash a week, but on the other side of the coin, I was doing less clothing wash than I had with my previous baby in disposables, because I had far less blowouts and leaks with cloth. So I found that I was not doing many extra loads.

The keys to a successful washing routine are water and the right detergent. Diapers are dirty! Yes dirty! Someone just pooped and peed on cloth so they are dirty, and this takes water to clean out. So I ran a rinse before I did anything. I did a cold rinse, so I didn't set any stains with heat. Now I have removed the worst of the soil, I can then add my detergent to really clean the diapers.

I use an additive free detergent. There are several great brands on the market that are made for cloth diapers, such as Rockin Green, Thirsties liquid, Eco Sprout and Eco Nuts. And yes you can use these on your regular wash too. I found them to be comparable price wise so I no longer buy regular detergent.

I found I used far less detergent than I used to before I cloth diapered. One of the biggest mistakes that many make (including myself starting out) was that they use too much detergent. And the residue gets left in the fibers and reacts with pee and causes rashes. I found for my water, a tablespoon of Rockin Green worked the best for me.

Suds do not make for clean diapers. Suds mean there is residue to be removed from the water. The better detergents do not make suds. When you peek in your machine for the final rinse, suds is something you do not want to see. If you do, run a rinse cycle or full cycle again.

I use hot water for the wash cycle. My machine does a hot wash and cold rinse. This worked fine for me. Do not use the sanitise cycle on your machine, the water can be so hot it can ruin the elastics and the waterproofing of your diapers.

Do not use bleach or fabric softener. Keep it simple! These items will harm your diapers. All you need is water and your diaper safe detergent to wash your diapers. Do not use dryer sheets. Not only do these harm your diapers, but they also have harmful chemicals in them that are not good for you in general. Cutting out all these items keeps the cost of washing down too!

So keep it simple, a good detergent and lots of water, and your diapers should be clean.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Aubrey's Undies #4- Super Skivvies Convertible Trainer

Super Skivvies

Convertible trainers for your little Potty Learner. Its a trainer... its underwear... Its Super Skivvies!

With their great prints and ultimate comfort, it was no surprise that Super Skivvies quickly became one of Aubrey's Favorite undies!

Pink Ooga Booga

What's so special about Super Skivvies?

They are made from organic cotton and they feature a no roll elastic encased in the waist and thigh bands, leaving no red marks on Aubrey's chunky thighs.

In the wet zone Super Skivvies have a built in rayon (from bamboo) and organic cotton velour liner, the perfect place to tuck in a little more absorbency for the training stages.

Butter Ooga Booga

Included is a removable insert consisting of three layers rayon (from bamboo)/organic cotton fleece. Just tuck the insert into the wet zone lining, and your undies are trainers! When your little trainer gets a bit bigger like my Aubrey, simply remove the insert and your trainers are now her big girl undies!

Its a zoo in here

Super Skivvies are not an alternative to diapers. Including the insert, there are five layers of protection, enough to handle a small accident. If your little one still needs more protection you can add a second insert.

Frogs in Cars

Find all of the featured Aubrey's Undies and more favorite trainers online at our Moms and Bums Family of Shops, or visit us in person at our Inventory Clearance Sale during the Mom sale October 22nd at the Brampton Fairgrounds (12942 Heart Lake Rd, L7C2J3) from 930-130. Admission $3 and all admission proceeds will once again be donated to Peel Children's Safety Village. Find more details on our Locals Corner page.

Have you enjoyed our Aubrey's Undies features? See Aubrey's Favorite undies featured on CityLine!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Why Shop Local

Hi! I'm Bayla from Soft and Cozy Baby in Baltimore. I'm going to make you think a little!

In today's internet age, who shops local anymore? It's easier and quicker to hop online and search for the best price and have it delivered to your door a week later. No dragging your kids in and out of their car seats, finding parking, etc. Sounds good, huh?

So why shop local?

Sales tax - One of the main reasons for shopping online is to avoid sales tax. Sales tax is what supports our community. It pays for our firefighters, police officers, garbage collectors, street paving, schools, and all the things we complain about that the city isn't doing for us! We need taxes as much as we hate them!

Giving back to our community - It's nice to think we're getting a great deal when we save a couple bucks shopping at big box stores or conglomerates. But they don't appreciate you! When you walk into a local mom-and-pop-shop and spend an extra dollar, think of what you're getting: personalized, educated, hands-on assistance; a grateful shop owner who you might have helped put food on their table; helping your neighbor or friend make a living. Wasn't it worth that extra dollar for the smile you put on their face to receive that warm feeling in your heart?

Shopping in your community keeps money in the community. It helps create jobs and resources and grows other local businesses. Local businesses build strong neighborhoods by contributing to local causes and investing back in sustaining the neighborhood.

Reduces the environmental impact - requires less transporting of goods

Local businesses return 80% of every dollar to the community.

Small local businesses are the largest employer and they create the most jobs.

Although it might seem like you're shopping local when you go into your local big box store, actually most of the revenue of that store is not staying in your community.

Here are some of the ways my small, independent store supports our community:

I pay rent to a local landlord supporting his business and family
I hire local employees putting food on their table and their kids in preschool which supports the local supermarkets and preschools
I pay city and county taxes which improves city services and supports our city workers and emergency personnel
I pay unemployment insurance which creates a pool for those locally who are unemployed
My shop contributes to the atmosphere of our neighborhood, helping to make it a safe and friendly place to live and visit
We accept and distribute bNotes, a local currency which keeps money local to improve the local economy
We contribute to local charities, schools, and organizations, keeping the money in the community
We help sponsor local events, making our community active, thriving, and a fun place to live and visit
We provide hands-on workshops and support, ensuring that our customers are successful and informed; and we are available for troubleshooting
We are open to customer suggestions on the products we carry and try to support local artisans and manufacturers
Our pricing is as competitive as any internet retailer allowing customers to support local business

WHY? Because it really makes a huge difference.

When you shop local, you invest in your community, in your neighbors, and in yourselves. In this economic climate, the best return on investment is in local business. It is estimated that for every dollar you spend, twice as much will be reinvested in the community by a local store than a national store.

Pick 3 independent businesses that you would miss if they closed. Spend $50 there. Feel good that your purchases are what keeps these stores around.

Sources

www.spendlocally.com

www.shoplocalsf.org

www.staylocal.org

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/09/why-shop-local-local-businesses-return-80-of-each-dollar-to-the-community/

http://www.the350project.net/home.html -- This is an AMAZING website!

Why do you shop locally and how does that benefit you and your community?

Who is your local cloth diaper shop and do you support them?

http://cdretailercooperative.blogspot.com/2010/05/locate-retailer.html

Sunday, September 11, 2011

September 11, 2011

So, it is September 11, 2011, the 10 year anniversary of the horrible attacks on the United States in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. It is also my day to blog on the Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative blog. I have been trying to come up with something appropriate to share with you all. However, despite my best efforts, writing about diaper rash salve or the best cloth training pant seems so trite and inconsequential.

I read an interesting article on how to talk to your kids about 9/11 and was all prepared when my young sons asked about it this morning (they wanted to know why there was a commemorative ceremony at the baseball game they were watching on tv). When I started to answer them using the words and tone the article suggested they replied "Oh, the Twin Towers? We learned about that at school." "Really?" I responded, "When?" "In Art class" they replied. Huh? In Art class? Has 9/11 and the wars that followed so desensitized us as a nation to the horrors of that day that 2nd graders are learning of it in Art? This was the defining moment of my adulthood. Like Pearl Harbor and the Kennedy Assassination that proceeded it, it is one of those days where everyone can tell you exactly where they were, what they were doing and how they felt when they first heard of it. It ended any innocence that remained and caused fear to be a unwelcome companion. Should something this consequential and life changing really be a topic in 2nd grade Art? Upon hearing of our sons' history lesson, my husband and I sat down with them and provided a bit more detail than I am assuming they received over finger paints and glitter.

So, on this 10th Anniversary day, I will not blog about diapers but I will do a giveaway as we all need something fun and happy to which we can look forward. One of our favorite Made in the USA diapers, Thirsties, has recently added new prints to its diaper cover line. They are sweet and delightful and make me smile whenever I see them. We will give away one of these new covers (you pick the size and print) via a random drawing from the entrants.

In order to enter, please do one or all of the following (doing all four gives you four entries!):

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