Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative: 2010-05-23

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sultana, from Simple Wonders Diapers

My name is Sultana and thank you for reading about Simple Wonders Diapers! I have been running my online cloth diapering shop since 2005, but have been using cloth diapers for well over 10 years. I was a nanny for many years and used cloth diapers on the majority of children I was able to spend time with. When my daughter was born in May 2005, cloth diapers were an easy choice. I became a stay-at-home-mom after working as an environmental scientist, when my daughter was born. I soon had many friends asking about the cloth diapers I was using. I was able to turn my extensive cloth diapering knowledge into a business I have loved! My son was born in September of 2007 and I have cloth diapered him from birth as well. Every single product I sell I have used on my own children and can help you successfully use on your children as well.

My customers rave about the personalized service I provide to each and every customer as well as my large selection, next day shipping and free shipping on all orders over $75. Although I don’t have a physical store, I do have a showroom in my home in Olympia, WA (also known as the diaper kingdom) where I take appointments to provide free diapering demonstrations. The availability of the showroom allows you to look, touch and feel all the cloth diapering options available to you today and confidently choose the perfect diapering system for your family.

Looking forward to helping you choose the perfect cloth diapering system for your family!
Sultana Jefts
http://www.simplewondersdiapers.com/

Simple Wonders Diapers

Gabriel's Picks # 2- The Tini/Easy Fit

Made in Scotland by Tots Bots the Tini Fit hit the market in North America only a few months ago... just in time for our little tester to enjoy the soft bamboo rayon against his tiny tush. Their innovative design couples a pocket diaper with an all in one.

The pocket insert is attached to the diaper, so you n

ever need to figure out which insert belongs with which diaper when it comes out of the wash.
Their design also allows for the insert to agitate out on its own in the wash, so there is no need to unstuff prior to laundering. In our family that is a huge plus!

Nothing is more annoying than for me than taking the load of diapers out of the drier only to find a balled up insert down in the bottom of the pocket diaper.
We found the extra insert that comes with the Tini fit wasn't necessary unless we were planning to use it overnight, or on a long car trip.
This is the first pocket velcro cloth diaper we have used where the laundry tabs actually stayed closed in the wash. Even after 2 months of use they are lint free and still look like the first day we used them.
We found the Tini Fit to be true to its sizing (5-12lbs) and although we might have been able to get away with it a little while longer Gabriel at 12 lbs 8 oz and 4 months old (10 weeks corrected) was beginning to have a bit of plumber butt (even as a prem he is at 75% on the chart for his height). So we have moved up to the Tini Fits big brother- The Easy Fit. Matt gives the Tini/Easy Fit the Daddy's Choice approval for ease of use and laundering. It is always the first one he grabs!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Recommendations for cloth diapering newborns

Steering my customers in the right direction when they ask for advice is always a top priority, and sometimes this means steering them away from a huge sale and into a more realistic, economical and practical option.

New moms, specifically first time moms, are usually really good about doing their research. Which diapers are the best? How do they work? How many do I need? and so on. In my experience they usually end up deciding on a well known pocket diaper, make up their mind that's what they want to use and they plan to build their stash accordingly. New baby = 12-24 pocket diapers plus inserts. Then they're off to shop.

If I knew then what I know now about babies and their bowel movements...lol I would have started with prefolds and covers when I first began cloth diapering my sons, especially since I rarely left the house. Why would I say such a thing? Because new babies poop and pee all day long. A squirt here, a drop there, as soon as you've placed a fresh diaper on their tiny bum they've gone and soiled it again. You check it and think, "man I can't just let them wear that diaper, even if it is only a pea sized amount of poo." Before you know it you've changed that babes diaper 3-4 times in one hour!

This is where prefolds come in. A soft and fluffy prefold, which are easily laundered and very forgiving, can be tri-folded into a cover, think Thirsites, and you're ready to go. Baby soils it two seconds later, you grab a fresh prefold and replace the soiled one with a clean one. Chances are your cover didn't even get dirty. Repeat this scenario throughout the day and you might go through a dozen prefolds and 2-3 covers. Depending on how often you plan on doing laundry, you could get started cloth diapering an infant with 4-6 covers and 2 dozen prefolds.

When you're ready to take baby out and about or have a need for diapers that you can or need to leave on for an extended period of time (like overnight), then you should experiment with pocket diapers and microfiber inserts or hemp inserts. Microfiber and Hemp are miraculous in the amount of pee they can hold, and paired with pocket diapers such as BumGenius or Duo Diapers they've been known to rival disposables in terms of how much they can hold before leaking. This makes them a perfect option for night time diapering or for use when heading to the doctor, the mall, or the grocery store.

Final thoughts, extend the life of your expensive pocket diapers by utilizing prefolds and covers when you can, especially when babies are less than 6 months old.

Thanks for reading!

Julia Clark, Earth Angels Diaper Co.

Dealing with the Stinkies

Some of you who cloth diaper may be lucky enough to never have to worry about stinky diapers, but if you have hard water, chances are, no matter how good your washing routine, you will periodically get stinky diapers.

When I diapered my first, I never knew stinky diapers. I used a wet pail system, and the diapers soaked in a solution similar to oxiclean until I was ready to wash them. And then her diapers were hung on a line to dry. A combination of soaking and sunlight, I believe meant I never had build up. Given I lived in several different places while she was diapered, and used anything from rain water to town water to city water, I know that it was the method, not the water that prevented stinky diapers. So if you can truely never beat the stinkies, try a wet pail.

Anyway, these days I can only use a dry pail system. Because of the way my laundry is set up, a wet pail system is out of the question. I would only use a wet pail if I had a safe place to store the pail, as it can be a drowning hazard.

So here are the stripping methods I have tried with success. As with most things in life, the most expensive method is the one that works the best for me, and uses the least water to do so.

RLR - Cost $1.85 (I was only ever able to find it online, but you might be lucky enough to find it at your local supermarket in the laundry isle).

Read my full blog review here.

Method:

Cold rinse the diapers to remove any solids etc.
Fill my machine on hot and add a FULL packet of RLR. I then let the diapers soak for several hours in it, preferably overnight. My machine is a top loader, and when I leave the lid up, the machine does not drain. If you have a front loader that will not allow you to soak, you might want to try to do this part of the method in a large bucket or the bath tub or large sink.
Drain and finish the machines cycle.
Run the machine on a full hot cycle without any detergent.
Dry diapers as normal. If the weather allows, I will do this outside. Sunlight really does help with stains and stink I have found.

Bac Out - Cost is approx $1.30 (You may be lucky enough to find this one in the laundry isle at your local supermarket. Keep an eye out for it going on sale if you do.)

Read my blog review here.

Method:

Rinse on cold.
Fill the washer with warm or cold water. Do not use hot, I have heard it can kill the enzymes in bac out.
I add around a quarter to half a cup of bac out to the load.
Soak several hours, overnight preferably. If your machine does not allow you to soak, then try a large bucket, sink or the tub.
Finish the cycle.
I generally run another full cycle with no detergents. It is important that you rinse this out totally as some babies skin can be sensitive to this product.
Dry diapers as normal. If the weather allows, I will do this outside. Sunlight really does help with stains and stink I have found.

Dawn - Cost is pennies. Get the blue classic dawn dishwashing detergent in the supermarket.

Read my blog review here.

Rinse on cold to remove solids etc.
Fill machine with hot and put in a very tiny squirt of dawn. I don't bother soaking with this method.
With this method, you keep rinsing with just water, preferably hot, until you no longer see suds.
If you use too much dawn, there will be a lot of rinses.
Dry diapers as normal. If the weather allows, I will do this outside. Sunlight really does help with stains and stink I have found.

Tips to avoid build up.

Use a diaper friendly detergent. Don't use detergents that have additives etc. There are some good detergents made for cloth diapers on the market. Just be aware, that not all detergents will work with YOUR water. So that friend who lives three states over who swears by said brand, may not work for you because your water composition is different.
If it is not a detergent made specifically for diapering, use less than recommended. When I used Ecos from the supermarket, I used about a quarter of a cup. Anymore than that and I would end up with stinky diapers.
Don't be stingy with the water when washing your diapers. You need the water to be able to flow freely through the fibers of your diaper in order to clean the fibers. If you use too little water, then particles will remain behind.
Do not use diaper creams directly on your diapers. If you need to use a diaper cream, use something to protect your diapers. You can use a flushable liner, or fabric liners that are cheap, or cut up an old t-shirt if need be. There are some creams out there that are safe to use on cloth diapers, but only in the recommended amounts.

Sharni - www.nappyshoppe.com

Registering for Cloth Diapers

I've found that when you have a baby, people want to buy you gifts. Lots of gifts. I've also found from experience that a baby only needs so many onesies, hats, and socks! Here is where the baby registry comes in...

Today, most expecting parents register at major-name and big-box stores in order to make it easier for their friends and families to purchase gifts for their baby. My feeling has always been that if I'm going to buy you a gift, I would also hope that it is something that you need. The registry is there to help those of us who want to purchase something for the new mom get her what she wants and/or needs, rather than something that is going to have to be returned.

If you are planning on using cloth diaper once your baby is born, then the major baby registries aren't going to be very helpful to you. What you need is to find a cloth diaper store that hosts registries. (I suggest Merrimack Valley Diapers!) Once you have found a place to register comes the big question... 'What do I register for?'

Here are a few different registry ideas...

Registry #1 - Basic plan for a newborn

24-36 cotton prefold diapers. More diapers means more days between doing the wash!

4-6 waterproof diaper covers. Meant to keep your little one's clothes dry and contain poopy messes!

2-6 fitted diapers. These are great for use at night... who wants to be fumbling with pins or Snappis in the dark at 3:00 am?

1-2 Snappi diaper fasteners. These are great for holding prefold diapers closed - no need for pins!

Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

Registry #2 - Basic Plan PLUS (great for dads/grandparents/caretakers)

12-24 cotton prefold diapers. More diapers means more days between doing the wash!

2-4 waterproof diaper covers. Meant to keep your little one's clothes dry and contain poopy messes!

1-3 fitted diapers. These are great for use at night... who wants to be fumbling with pins or Snappis in the dark at 3:00 am?

1-2 Snappi diaper fasteners. These are great for holding prefold diapers closed - no need for pins!

8-12 pocket diapers. Pocket diapers go on just like disposable diapers, making it easy for helpers to change the baby, too!

Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

Registry #3 - Birth to Potty-Learning Plan

24-36 One Size (OS) diapers. These diapers can be adjusted for size, and fit most babies from sizes newborn through toddler. Never need to buy bigger sizes!

Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

No matter which plan you prefer, register for you diapers early enough so that you can have all of your diapers washed and prepped before your little one makes her/his appearance!

Noreen

Helpfull hints and other fun stuff on our blog: http://merrimackvalleydiapers.com/blog

The Kitchen Family's 1st Cloth Diaper

The very first cloth diaper I used was a standard, 4x6x4, unbleached prefold. I folded it in thirds and laid it inside a medium Thirsties diaper cover. My daughter was a petite 18 month old at about 20 lbs. We chose these diapers for a few different reasons:

1) Prefolds are inexpensive.
2) Thirsties Covers are the #1 rated cover on diaperpin.com
3) The standard prefolds would be less bulky on my petite toddler than premium prefolds.
4) She was not a heavy wetter.
5) The medium cover was roomy enough to last her until potty training.

It also had to be easy for my doubting husband. I accomplished this by having the prefolds folded in thirds ready to go in the covers for him. The system worked well for us and we still use the same prefolds and covers on my second child!

LeAnn

Follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/GigglBritches
Join us on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Giggle.Britches

Gabriel's Picks #1- Preemie Prefolds

We are always asked which cloth diapers we use and what we prefer, so we decided it was time to share:) Over the next few posts we are going to highlight some great cloth diapers that we found worked the best for Gabriel.

First you may need a bit of background. Gabriel was born January 24th at 5lbs 3oz and 34 weeks gestation. He is our 3rd child, our second to use cloth diapers (the nurses in the NICU were not open to cloth, so he was 2 weeks old before we started, and just back birth weight).
We used a variety of diapers on him, some fitting much better than others. My favorite was Bummis organic cotton preemie prefolds with a preemie/newborn super brite cover. He has since outgrown the Preemie/newborn cover (at just over 10lbs and nearly 3 months old) so we have moved up to small Bummis Super Brites and xs Thirsties covers. The prefolds are however still fitting great, and seem to get softer with each wash! We will have to update when they become too small for him.

A note on Thirsties xs covers and AIO's- Although the design for Thirsties and Bummis are quite similar, (with Bummis being made right here in Canada) we found that the leg holes with Thirsties were much larger than the Bummis ones- allowing for our preemie with the common preemie "chicken legs" to pee right out of them. Gabriel was about 8lbs before he was able to wear them without leaks.
We definitely would recommend Bummis Newborn Super Brite Covers and Premmie Prefolds for small newborns and preemies.
Why did we chose the Super Brite over the Super Whisper? The leg gussets of course! If you haven't had a newborn, then you may not know about the liquid poops that come along with them. You see until a baby begins solid foods poops are generally liquid, and sometimes seedy liquid- gross right! Without those legs gussets you run the risk of that liquid poop leaking right out the sides of the diaper... ask a mom who used disposables how many outfits they ruined with blowouts. Here at Moms and Bums we are all about the leg gussets!

Check out the great video below made by Bummis on how to use their prefolds and stay tuned for the next edition of Gabriel's Picks coming soon...

Current Sales & Promotions

Please visit each individual retailers FaceBook Page to see what exciting new Sales and Promotions they have to offer! Make sure to become a Fan while you're there!

(stores are listed alphabetically)
Angel Bunz

Baby Hopes Cloth Diapers

Cottontail Baby

Earth Angels Diaper Co.

Ecological Babies

Giggle Britches

Gorgeous and Green

Growing Green Bums

Growing Up Green

Happy Tushies

Little Monkey Store

Living Earth Babies

Merrimack Valley Diapers

Moms and Bums

My Baby Pumpkin, LLC

Nell's Natural Baby

Punkernoodle Baby

Simple Wonders

Snooty Booty Diapers LLC

Snuggle Hugs

Soft and Cozy Baby

Sugar Dipes

Sweet Little Blessings

Tadpoles & Butterflies

Tender Loving Cloth Diapers LLC

The Green Baby Store

The Nappy Shoppe

Wee Willie Winks

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Punkernoodle Baby, Seattle WA

Hello! I am Natalie, and together with my husband Lukas and our sweet girls, I run http://www.punkernoodlebaby.com/, based in Seattle, Washington. We offer a fun, easy-to-navigate online shop and Cloth Diaper education center as well as a local showroom where we keep all our diapers and accessories in stock and take visits most days of the week. You can also find me, Natalie, teaching Cloth 101 classes at locations around Seattle and giving our Cloth Diaper Tutorials weekly at our showroom.

We have happily diapered our our children in cloth and are truly passionate about helping other parents do the same. Lukas was raised in a large, self-sustaining family and was diapered in cloth along with all of his siblings. So when I became pregnant with our first daughter five years ago, he suggested we use cloth diapers. My first thought (and what I told him) was - NO WAY! But I became curious and went online. One I saw all the totally modern new cloth diapers and read about the environmental damage and health concerns of disposables, I made an immediate decision to use cloth on my babies. Our daughter (whom Lukas nicknamed "Punkernoodle") was in cloth starting from right after her birth, and we have never looked back!

One thing I adore about cloth diapers (besides the good they do our planet) is the style, especially the diapers that come in bright colors and cute prints. It appears our little girls are quickly turning into fashionistas just like their Mama. You know you have a problem when your diaper simply has to match your outfit :)

Lukas especially likes keeping paper/plastic diapers out of landfills. After he's done packaging diapers and sending them off around the country to lucky babies and their parents, he works his green thumb in our organic backyard garden. That's where we burn off stress and teach our girls about the importance of caring for Mother Earth.

Our little girls are our inspiration and are our bosses. Our dog and our cat have some say as well. We feel lucky to be sowing our seeds in the great, green Northwest, among lush forests, gorgeous waters and open minds. We decided to start an environmentally friendly business after having our babies and realizing how much the fabrics and products we put on our skin and in our environment really matter. We want to help parents make healthy choices for their children and for our environment. we also strongly support and advocate for family-friendly businesses! We thank you for visiting http://www.punkernoodlebaby.com/ and hope you leave with some sweet diapers and a serving of eco-consciousness. Cheers!

Snooty Booty Diapers, New Jersey

My name is Michelle and I'm the owner/operator of Snooty Booty Diapers. I live at the Jersey Shore with my husband and 2 daughters. We started cloth diapering when my 3 1/2 year old (now out of diapers) was 5 months old and are currently diapering our 18 month old. Between the 2, I've experienced every stage of cloth diapering-newborn, night diapering, starting solids, wrestling a crawler and potty training. I try to use what I've learned to help my customers find diapering success.

People often ask, "What's your favorite diaper?" or "What's the best diaper?" We use a little of everything so that I have first-hand knowledge of the products I sell. So there's not one diaper or kind that dominates our stash. As for the best diaper, I truly believe that the best diaper is the one that works for your family. There are many brands, and I try to suggest the best diaper for each family's needs.

Overall, I want my customers to love cloth diapering. That way, they encourage other parents to try cloth and the momentum grows. Cloth diapers have so many advantages over disposables-cost, cuteness, natural fibers, etc. The more people that know, the better!

Snooty Booty Diapers offers a large selection of cloth diapers as well as other natural baby products, products for mom and resusable products for the home. I try to make your shopping experience as easy as possible, with layaway, customer rewards and $2.95 flat-rate shipping (free over $50). A gift registry is available, too. For NJ residents, I have an office showroom open by appointment. Thanks for checking us out!

Michelle

Snooty Booty Diapers, Allenhurst NJ

www.facebook.com/snootybootydiapers

www.twitter.com/snootybdiapers

www.clothdiapersmadesimple.com

Wee Willie Winks

Becoming the owner of Wee Willie Winks was serendipitous! It came into my life at the right time and was completely meant to be. I had given birth to my son and decided to stay home, but was looking for something I could do that would allow me to take him with me and meet new people. Just about this time the previous owner of Wee Willie Winks had decided to move on to bigger things and I puchased the business from her. I knew the Central Florida area still needed a local cloth diapering retailer because I wouldn't have used cloth diapers without her help.

Let me introduce myself, I'm Carissa the proud owner of Wee Willie Winks an online cloth diapering boutique. Although, we are an online store, you can often find me around the Orlando, Fl area giving seminars, classes, and demonstrations. I offer monthly cloth diapering information sessions at Infusion Tea in College Park. These classes are always the last Thursday of every month. Weather you live near or far I am always happy to chat cloth diapers and help you discover the love of cloth diapers.

I only carry products I know and have used myself at Wee Willie Winks. Some of these products include: Thirsties, bumGenius, Fuzzibunz, Drybees, Moby Wraps, and Rockin' Green Soap. I hope you will join us as we grow and discover new and exciting cloth diapering products together.

Carissa ~ www.weewilliewinks.com ~ Cloth Diapers, Cloth Diapering Accessories, and More!

Find us on Facebook and Twitter!

My Baby Pumpkin, LLC Watertown, WI

Hi, I am, Kristin, a full time stay at home mommy to a my June 2007 little girl and my August 2008 baby boy. I am a school teacher by trade, but put that on hold as I did not want to miss out on being a mommy, something I could never get back down the road. I also coach club volleyball from November to June.

I started this business as a way to share the wonderful products I have discovered over the last couple of years. I have fallen in love with natural baby care products that are on the market as well as cloth diapers. When I was pregnant with my first child I did a lot of research on cost, environmental concerns, effects on the children, and have put some of that research to action with my children. What I have found is that the products I sell have worked great for my family and I hope they do for yours as well.

I hope you will find cloth diapering as rewarding as I have. It has helped me feel connected to our environment and the world around me. I am grateful for this opportunity and will happily help share my experiences. We look forward to having you be part of the My Baby Pumpkin Family.

Amanda of Tender Loving Cloth Diapers LLC

Hello! My name is Amanda, and I am the owner of Tender Loving Cloth Diapers LLC. I started cloth diapering my son when he was 10 months of age. I was so tired of throwing away diapers (and money!), so I purchased one diaper online to try out. My husband told me I could go ahead and have fun and that he'd stick to the disposables. Once he saw how easy it was to use the cloth diapers, however, he was on board! I purchased several different types, found what I liked, and purchased more of those.

I started Tender Loving Cloth Diapers LLC so that I could be a local source in NW Ohio for those who are considering cloth diapering and want to see everything in person. I offer monthly cloth diapering classes and sales so that people can learn how easy cloth diapering can be and touch and see everything in person. My customers have found that it has been extremely helpful to experiment with all of the different types of diapers before purchasing. I also offer free next-day shipping and deliver for most of my local customers.

My website also has a list of NW Ohio Baby Resources. I would be happy to list your cloth-friendly daycare providers on my list as well. If you are in NW Ohio or far away, I would very much appreciate your patronage!

Amanda

http://www.tlcdiapers.com/

Find us on Facebook!

Soft and Cozy Baby, Baltimore MD

I am Bayla, of Soft and Cozy Baby, in Baltimore Maryland. When I was expecting my first child, 2.5 years ago, I knew I wanted to Cloth Diaper. I started doing research and was so overwhelmed by the myriad choices available online. We decided to start with a diaper service. After 2 weeks, I knew I could do it myself. Plus there were so many cuter options out there than prefolds. And all the diaper service offered was white covers. I didnt realize I had other choices!

There was one natural baby store in my area but their selection of diapers was limited. So my baby was only 3 months old when I started talking to my husband about how I would only put in a little money and get a couple diapers... We started out in my living room, then moved to the dining room, then to the basement. We just kept growing and adding more options. We were overwhelmed by how many parents felt this was a necessary resource. We started offering open hours and workshops. We opened in our home Sept 2008.

In April 2010 we opened our storefront. The response has been incredible. There is such a demand in the Baltimore area for cloth diapers, baby carriers and healthy, natural options for babies and families.

We pride ourselves on family oriented, personalized service. We like that people can come in and touch and feel the diapers before choosing their stash. Just today I received a phone call: "What diapers do you recommend?" I really couldnt answer that question. I told the caller that I recommend personalized options depending on the age of the baby, the preferences of the parents and/or caregivers and their lifestyle. Many people do great with prefolds but there are some who would choose disposables before they had to use a 2 step diaper system. And I wouldnt recommend the same diaper for a newborn as a 2 year old.

I started Soft and Cozy Baby as a hobby and as a resource for the community (and because I love cloth diapers!). I also have a "real job" - I'm a nurse-midwife. But realizing the need for a Cloth Diaper store was so vital, our family has rearranged our schedules in order to make it more accessible to more people. We love the business and the people we meet daily. We also love seeing people come back and watching their babies grow. We have begun to feel part of the lives of some of our customers.

We are able to offer classes and workshops in our new space. We have Cloth Diapering workshops twice monthly, Babywearing workshops monthly, Car Seat safety, Breastfeeding, Music and Movement, and more! We are also beginning one of the only out-of-hospital natural childbirth class options in Baltimore City.

Come stop by our store and say hi! We're happy to show you around and answer your questions!

Soft and Cozy Baby

3610 Falls Road (in Hampden off the Avenue)

Baltimore, MD 21211

http://www.softandcozybaby.com/

http://www.facebook.com/softandcozybaby
http://twitter.com/softandcozybaby

Sharni of Nappy Shoppe

Hi, My name is Sharni. I am the owner of Nappy Shoppe. I started Nappy Shoppe in 2008 after I started cloth diapering my youngest. I started with making G-Flappers, which I made for gDiapers when I couldn't find an insert that worked for me. I soon found others were looking for inserts, so as a web designer it didn't take much for me to set up a web site and get started.

Then I started trying out other kinds of cloth diapers, and decided to try my hand at selling the ones I liked the best. What I expected to be something that would occupy me just a few hours a week turned into a full time job that I love. I now employ my daughter and a couple of my friends part time. It feels good to contribute to the local economy and better the environment at the same time.

I am an Australian who lives in Texas. I met my Texan husband on line back in 1995. I have a daughter who is 22, and three sons, 13, 7 and 2. Yes that is 20 years between first and last! I cloth diapered my first child, and back then it was flats and pins and plastic pants. I had a huge wet pail in my laundry room, and line dried my diapers as I didn't own a dryer. Sad to say I used disposables on my second and third. My third was always sporting a nasty diaper rash and if I had known about dry pails back then, I would have changed to cloth!

I am so glad I discovered cloth this time around. I always hated the way I contributed to the environmental mess with my older two boys. I feel like I am doing better by the world my kids are growing up in this time around by using cloth diapers.

I love my job as I get to meet other mums! I have met quite a few local mums and enjoyed making new friends. And I have a great online community of cloth diapering mums too.

I am happy to answer any cloth diapering questions anyone might have. Just contact me through the website :)

Sharni

Locate a Retailer

View CD Retailer Cooperative in a larger map

US State	Retailer
California	Angel Bunz
Florida	Wee Willie Winks
	Earth Angels Diaper Co.
	Ecological Babies
Illinois	Giggle Britches
Maryland	Gorgeous and Green
	Soft and Cozy Baby
Massachusetts	Baby Hope's Cloth Diapers
	Merrimack Valley Diapers
Michigan	Nell's Natural Baby
Minnesota	Happy Tushies
	Cottontail Baby
New Jersey	Snooty Booty Diapers
Ohio	SnuggleHugs
	Tender Loving Cloth Diapers
Pennsylvania	Sweet Little Blessings
Tennessee	Diaper Daisy
Texas	The Nappy Shoppe
Washington	Simple Wonders
	PunkerNoodle Baby
Wisconsin	The Green Baby Store
	My Baby Pumpkin
Canada	Retailer
Alberta	Tadpoles and Butterflies
British Columbia	Little Monkey Store
Ontario	Moms and Bums

Tanya of Moms and Bums

My name is Tanya and I am the owner of Moms and Bums, Natural Parenting Shop and the recently acquired Baby's Bottom Line. Moms and Bums is a parent owned and family operated company out of Brampton, Ontario (about 30 minutes west of Toronto) with US shipping out of Niagara Falls, NY through Baby's Bottom Line.
When I was pregnant with my second child I looked for every way possible to cut costs and be able to stay home for a full maternity leave. The answer became obvious- cloth diapers! The quest to find cloth diapers was more difficult than I imagined. Although you may find quite a few companies with cloth diapers and organic family products today, in 2007 they were few and far between. It was then that the vision of Moms and Bums began. Our primary goal was to bring cloth diapers to the locals of Brampton, Ontario.
When you enter the world of cloth diapers you cant help but also discover the truth about other products you use and the chemicals and toxins they may contain. As I researched I began to educate myself and took a good look around. I decided it was time to take the green road to a more natural lifestyle. As the time went on and more great products were discovered Moms and Bums branched out and Natural Parenting Shop was opened in the summer of 2008. We strive to seek out great products that are gentle on babies and the earth and provide our children with a healthier lifestyle.

As an RN by profession with a maternal child specialty educating families is my job. We do our best to provide you with the information needed on how to choose the right cloth diapers. With cloth diapers there are so many options to choose from to accommodate your budget, your baby's needs and your lifestyle. We know that choosing the right cloth diaper can be confusing, so we are here to help along the way! I am pleased to spread cloth diaper awareness in my local community of Brampton, Ontario as well as to provide easy to use online baby shops four our customers across north america.
Every family has unique circumstances with distinct needs and resources. We aim to provide our customer with a wide range of natural products, baby slips and wraps, cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories and unique baby gifts to choose from that dont break the bank. If you have any questions or concerns, please dont be affraid to send us an email! We are here to help along the great adventure of cloth diapers and natural parenting!

Together with my husband Matt and our three children we run Moms and Bums.
The Moms and Bums Team:
Tanya- The Big Boss, new product finder

Matt- The jack of all trades, best friend and best husband ever!

Kiera (5)- The big kid product tester, assistant order picker and expert counter

Aubrey (2 1/2)- the original diaper tester, and now our trainer tester

Gabriel (4 months)- preemie diaper tester, diaper tester and middle of the night snacker

Melissa from The Green Baby Store

Hello from The Green Baby Store. We are a small, family oriented cloth diaper store that strives to provide our customers, both local and internet, with personal, prompt and friendly service. We specialize in pockets and all-in-one diapers to make the transition from disposable products to cloth as easy as possible—because it really is easy.

First a little about myself. I am a former school teacher, now stay-at-home mom of our four wonderful children. Three girls and a little boy. We also have a naughty dog who keeps us on

our toes. As a family we enjoy playing outdoors, riding our bikes and exploring new places. I, myself, enjoy reading and organic gardening as well and--OK I’ll admit it--the occasional veg-out time in front the TV watching my favorite shows. This is of course when I am not working on big ideas for The Green Baby Store.

Let me tell you a little about our cloth diapering experiences. It started about five years ago when a first-time mom neighbor said to me, “I’m going to use cloth diapers!” as she pulled out a pack of prefolds she purchased at a local discount store. I laughed at her and replied, “OK, yeah right, go for it.” Thinking to myself, “I give her one day before she is pulling out the disposables.” You see, my idea of cloth diapers was skewed by past knowledge and mass marketing of disposable products. I envisioned her sticking herself with pins and pulling off huge dirty plastic pants, and her whole house smelling of dirty diaper. And while the older style of cloth diapering is available for those who like that style, I wasn’t too excited about it. I had no idea that modern cloth diapers existed and there are diapers out there that are as easy to use as a disposable.

My oldest two children suffered through countless diaper rashes and we spent thousands on diapers that went straight to a landfill because I didn’t know there was any other alternative out there for our family. I can’t say exactly what set me on the path to cloth diapering—it wasn’t that neighbor as she had never gotten around to using the cloth diapers she had bought while pregnant. But when our third daughter was a couple months old I ended up with a cheap package of 5 cloth diapers and I gave it a go, and six months later I had a stash of 30 different diapers. We haven’t had a diaper rash since! I paid a visit to that neighbor to apologize for making fun of her cloth diaper idea. It turns out she didn’t know about modern cloth diapers either, and in an ironic twist: I got her hooked on cloth diapers!

After discovering that no one within two hours of my city offered cloth diapers, and there was a desire for them here, I opened The Green Baby Store while pregnant with our forth child. It is our mission to provide the best service for our local customers through education nights, diaper demos and local delivery. And to provide easy returns and prompt shipping for our internet customers.

Find us online at: www.thegreenbabystore.com

Find us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/thegreenbabystore

Living Earth Babies, Boulder CO

Hi. I'm Lisa, owner of Living Earth Babies, and the lucky new mother of Nathan -- the inspiration for this business. Only a couple of short years ago, I was happily chugging along in the "corporate world", and had no clue about diapers (or babies!). But then...

The story begins... Pregnancy
While pregnant, I spent many sleepless nights online researching, and for some reason cloth diapers were my favorite middleof-the-night surfing topic. I was amazed but overwhelmed by the multitude of cloth diapering options. There were so many different styles and brands to choose from -- it was hard to know which would be best. I think I read every review on Diaper Pin but it seemed that there was someone who loved or hated every brand of diaper.

Nathan's Birth ~ Diaper Delivery Service
I decided to start out with a local diaper delivery service. This worked great, especially in those early weeks when it seemed we changed Nate's diaper 15 times a day! It was sort of a fun challenge to use the prefolds and test out various brands of diaper covers. My husband and I traded diaper folding techniques to see which had the best "containment factor". I was surprised, however, at how Nate's Grandma and Bubby struggled with the prefolds. After all, they used them on us in the 60's!! I couldn't convince them that the Snappi was easier to use than diaper pins (it really is!!). I started to have doubts about using prefolds for the long-term. It was also starting to bother me that, while the diaper covers contained messes and leaks pretty well, the wet prefold sat against Nate's skin. I was ready to try something new.
Lisa and Nathan

Nathan at 6 weeks ~ Diaper Shopping
I stopped into a local consignment shop that carries a small selection of pocket and fitted diapers and decided to try a few. I also A LOT of pocket, all-in-one (AIO), and one-size diapers over the internet. After spending several hundred dollars and way too many hours online, I made a decision and plunked down $500 on my initial investment of 20 pocket diapers, a bunch of inserts, a couple of wet bags, some pail liners and some soap. It frustrated me that while the initial expense to test a bunch of brands was not exactly “wasted”, it could certainly have been avoided if I had been able to see and touch the diapers first and talk to someone directly about each product.

Nathan at 8 weeks ~ The "BIG IDEA"
Meanwhile, there I was, a new mom doing the new mom thing... joining new mom groups and going to the free classes at the hospital. Whenever I changed Nathan, there was always at least one other mom who would ask me about his cloth diaper. I began to realize that after all of my research and product testing, I had become quite an “expert” on cloth diapers and that other moms valued my advice and experience.

Thus… the "Big Idea”: start a business to explain the pro and cons of cloth diapering, conduct Diaper Demo workshops to let customers see and touch the diapers, and become a reseller of the best products on the market. Of course... when I had this "Big Idea", Nate was still sleeping most of the day. As the next few weeks passed and I rushed to put the business together, he became more alert, more fun, and more awake!! My goal was to get the website and business up and running before returning to my corporate job, and somehow I did it. I'm began offering my Diaper Demo workshops and they are definitely the most rewarding part of this entrepreneurial experience... advocating for cloth diapers and helping parents make the right selection for their baby! Check out the Diaper Demo page for the schedule if you live in the Boulder/Denver area.
Jasper in Diapers

"Two Under Two"
When Nathan was 19 months, we welcomed baby Jasper to the family. Wahoo... a new bum to test on! Jasper has worn just about every kind of diaper, especially as I wanted to test out how many of the one-size diapers really fit on a little 6 lb 14 oz newborn.

WAHMing It
Now here I am, with a 2.5 year old Nathan and a 10 month old Jasper, somehow trying to balance two kids, a wonderful husband (thank goodness he can cook!), a full-time job, AND my diaper business. The best thing is that I can work from home. I'm excited to be part of the Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative. This blog and our facebook page will be a great resource to parents trying to navigate the amazing world of cloth diapers. Please also feel free to email me at lisa@livingearthbabies.com if you have any questions.

Lisa Van Damme

lisa@livingearthbabies.com

www.livingearthbabies.com

Facebook page: Living Earth Babies

twitter: @livearthbabies

Sarah from Sugar Dipes

Hi, my name is Sarah! I am the owner of Sugar Dipes, an online store with premier cloth diapers and accessories. I am a mother to a gorgeous almost 3 year old daughter. I have been married to my best friend for 5 years.

I am very passionate about cloth diapers. If you would have told me this 2 years ago, I wouldn't have believed you. I had a very different opinion about cloth diapering. My grandma cloth diapered her 7 children, my mom cloth diapered my sister for a short time (pretty much until she pooped). So my feelings toward cloth diapering was I will stick to disposables.

When Savannah was a few months old, this is when everything changed. Her pediatrician told me Savannah had ezcema in her diaper area. I was to give her benadryl and some steriod cream to help her. I changed her every 2-3 hours. Her skin didn't get better. It wasn't until we moved to the Chicago area and the pediatrician said Savannah didn't have ezcema. With either pediatrician no one ever mentioned switching to cloth diapers.

It wasn't until Savannah was 20 months old and I tried every brand of disposables that a friend of mine started cloth diapering her daughter. I saw this and thought maybe I should try this. After all they were adorable! So I talked my husband into letting me try the cloth diapers. It only took about a week for me to see amazing results. Savannah's skin was clear!! No more itching, no more red bumps; it was amazing really!

I started to read more and more about cloth diapers. I quickly found that a lot of babies have horrible reactions to the toxins and chemicals in disposables. Savannah was one of them. I started to feel bad because if I would have known this information Savannah's skin would have been clear a lot sooner. After the many hours of research, I decided that cloth diapers are absolutely the best option for baby and the earth.

I decided to open Sugar Dipes so I can educate others on cloth diapers and hope to change the stereotype that cloth diapers have. It isn't bad, unhealthy, or gross. It is no different than disposables; except you save a ton of money and help out the environment!

Here at Sugar Dipes we proudly sell premier cloth diapers such as bumGenius, Nifty Nappy, FuzziBunz, Knickernappies, RumpaRooz, and SoftBums and many more!!

Spread the fluffy love,
Sarah

Fan us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sugardipes
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sugardipes

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