Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative

Saturday, September 11, 2010

A Different Kind of Back to School (and a Giveaway!)

Happy September! I am Kathleen, the owner of Cottontail Baby and her sister site Mamaclothonline. We live in gorgeous, green, lake-filled Minnesota where, as if on cue, the moment Labor Day weekend and the Minnesota State Fair were over the weather turned cold with brisk winds and crisp air. Summer is done and it is time to turn our attention to more serious pursuits like school and the Vikings. I love the Fall. Maybe it is all those years of going to school with new notebooks and paper and freshly sharpened pencils but it seems more a season of new beginnings to me than Spring ever does. A chance to begin again and make good choices and succeed and write new chapters.

One issue we struggle with at Back to School is sleep. Weaning our school age kids off their summer bedtimes and into school bedtimes is a significant challenge in our home.

As if psychically knowing exactly what our family is experiencing, the Science Times this Tuesday was full of articles on kids and sleep and school and studying. I thought this blog post was a good opportunity to share a couple things I read. The first has to do with kids and sleep and weight. We all know there is an obesity epidemic in this country. We also all know that there is a correlation between getting adequate nightly sleep and weight issues later in life. The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine entered the dialogue with another study linking lack of adequate sleep in young children to becoming overweight or obese later in life. According to the study, children under 5 who did not receive at least 10 hours of sleep each night (naps do NOT count) were almost twice as likely to be overweight or obese later in life than those kids who did get the sleep. The belief is that sleep affects hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. Fortunately for the children of the world, sleep is an easily modifiable risk factor.

There was a second kids and weight article in the Times this week. This one did not have to do with sleep being a risk factor but the mother's weight. Yes, again, it is always Mommy's fault. According to this study, excessive weight gain in pregnancy can lead to larger than average infants who are prenatally programmed to become overweight adults with all the health issues associated with excessive weight (diabetes, heart disease, cancer). According to the National Academy of Sciences, fewer than 40% of women gain ONLY the recommended amount of weight during their pregnancy. The other 60% pack on too many pounds. Piggybacking on this phenomenon is that most women do not lose all their pregnancy weight before entering into another pregnancy causing them to start off heavier and gain more each time.

A similar study of British children found that at age 9, kids of women whose weight gain exceeded their physician's recommendations were fatter than other kids, more likely to become overweight and had multiple risk factors for heart disease as well as poorer immune function. In an editorial associated with the publication of this study in Circulation, Dr. Neal Halfon from the Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities at the University of California, Los Angeles said "You can't turn around in the nine months of pregnancy what's been going on for many years of life. The preconception period is critical to placing pregnancy on a healthier trajectory."

I really liked this quote as it seemed to encapsulate what we are trying to do here on the Cloth Diaper Retailer Blog. Help families lead healthier lives for themselves and their children. We help not only by selling the tools to a greener and cleaner lifestyle but also by giving tips and hints and advice on how to make it easier and not onerous. For example, the posting a week or so ago Simple Steps to Start Canning giving tips on how to can fresh vegetables from your garden. Not only does this help in saving money at the grocer but it also allows your family to eat pesticide free produce that has not been frozen wrapped in chemical laden plastic or canned in sodium rich tin.

So, what do you think? In this season of new beginnings what changes are you going to make to help your family lead a greener and healthier lifestyle?

Giveaway

I spent some time thinking of what would be the best item from our inventory to giveaway to readers. Something that incorporated this posting's theme of new beginnings and learning and healthlier lifestyles and it became clear. A trainer! We are huge fans here of both the Happy Heiny's trainer for kids in the early stages of potty learning and the Imse Vimse trainer for kids who have mastered potty learning but still have occasional accidents.

For this month, I believe we will go with the Happy Heiny trainer. We love the Happy Heiny for being so customizable. With the Happy Heinys Pocket Trainer you can pick the color and snap option (no snaps, snaps on one side, snaps on both sides) that works best for your child as well as stuff it with as much or as little as you need. We will giveaway one Happy Heiny's pocket trainer in any regular size, color and snap option the winner desires.

In order to enter (Please leave a separate comment for each entry. If you already are a fan or already subscribe, leave a comment saying so):

1. MANDATORY entry: Stop by Cottontail Baby and check out the selection of Happy Heinys products. Tell us what you like most about the brand.

2. Follow this blog for an entry.

3. Become a fan of Cottontail Baby on Facebook.

4. Become a fan of CDRC of Facebook.

5. Join the Cottontail Baby mailing list

6. Follow the Cottontail Baby blog, Clothdiaperonline.

Thanks!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Bottombumpers One Size All in One Up Close-and a giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed. Winner is comment #184, AEK! She has been contacted-if she doesn't respond, I'll post back with a new winner.

I borrowed this post from my 9/3/10 post over at Cloth Diapers Made Simple, but the giveaway is completely new. Enjoy!
~Michelle at Snooty Booty Diapers

Bottombumpers was one of the last brands to offer sized-only diapers, so I knew it was only a matter of time until they developed a one-size diaper. I wondered though, if a one size version would stay true to the trim-fitting design of their sized diapers. One of the brand's great features is the trim fit. It's really hard to keep a trim fit in a one-size while providing enough coverage for larger babies on larger settings.

Would it keep a great fit? And what about the adjustment? For a while, Bottombumpers kept it hush-hush. Retailers knew it wasn't a snap-down rise, but it wasn't adjustable elastic. It was hard to think of what the adjustment might be.

A couple of months ago, retailers were allowed to purchase a one-size sample to try out. I was very excited to receive the one-size diaper...until I opened the package. When I took it out, I was sure that Bottombumpers had sent me a sized diaper by accident. They looked exactly alike! To show how easy it is to confuse them, I lined up 3 diapers here. 2 are sized, and the yellow one is one size. It blends in so well!

After some po

king around the diaper, I discovered that it was, in fact, a one size diaper. The adjustment is snap-down, but not on the rise. It's ingeniously hidden underneath the snap in soaker! Once the soaker is in place, it's impossible to s

ee. The placement of the snaps allows the diaper to retain the great Bottombumpers trimness, but it's faster to adjust than leg elastic.

The size settings are color-coded, so you never have to worry about putting the diaper at 2 different settings. Brilliant!

Since the diaper accommodates 4 size settings, it's not quite as trim on the smaller settings at the sized Bottombumpers. It is less bulky than many other one size brands, thanks to the smooth, snap-less rise. The absorbency of the soakers is great, and the materials are the same that you are used to in the sized version. To help compare, the green diaper is the one-size on the second setting next to a medium size blue.

The verdict? I really like this diaper and was excited for its release. Since it's looking like we might have outgrown our medium Bottombumpers before my daughter potty-trains, I'm glad that I'll be able to move her easily to the next size setting on the one-size. It's trim enough that clothing fits easily over the diaper, and she does well with the absorbency. If you're really concerned about getting the trimmest fit, then you should still consider the sized diapers. Otherwise, the one-size is a great way to go!

Right now the one-size is available in 6 colors and in side-snaps only. Enjoy free shipping on the one-size version until 9/15/10 with code "bbfree". You'll also receive a coupon code to use on your next Bottombumpers purchase-since you'll definitely be back to buy more!

Win a Bottombumpers One Size diaper in the color of your choice!
To enter:
US Residents may enter from September 8, 2010 through 11:59 pm EST September 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn through a random number generator on September 16, 2010. The valid comment number that matches the generated number will be the winner.

Please leave contact information in your comment(s). I will make every attempt to contact you and will post the winner here. If I have not heard from the winner by September 20, 2010, another winner will be drawn.

Here's how to enter (Please leave a separate comment for each entry. If you're already a fan or already subscribe, simply leave a comment saying so):
1. Mandatory entry: Stop by Snooty Booty Diapers and check out the selection of Bottombumpers products. Tell what you like most about this brand.
2. Follow this blog for an entry.
3. Become a fan of CDRC on Facebook for an entry.
4. Become a Snooty Booty fan on Facebook for an entry.
5. Subscribe to the Snooty Booty Diapers mailing list for an entry.
6. Follow Snooty Booty's blog, Cloth Diapers Made Simple for an entry.
Good luck!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Jaxon mission ... impossible or not?

A new mum came into the store on the last day of August, 2010. She carried in her arms, little Jaxon, who was a month old. She told me that her husband was out of work, and they were living with relatives, so money was limited, and they needed to cloth diaper little Jaxon on a very very limited budget. Could I help? I said I would do my best! She said all she had in her purse was $240. And she didn't anticipate more funds being available in the future to buy more.

We started by weighing little Jaxon on my shipping scales. He came to 10 pounds, and that gave us a starting point for our mission. Our goal, to make these cloth diapers last as long as possible! And hopefully make the system easy enough for dad to use.

First off we checked out the Bummis starter kit. These kits are a great kit to get started, but there was one flaw. The smallest version would only fit little Jaxon until 15 pounds. Jaxon's mum asked me, how long till that. Well, how long is a piece of string? That was not an answer I could give. I told her every baby was different. My last one didn't hit 15 pounds until he was 8 months old, but other friends babies were that weight by the time they were 2-3 months old. Predicting weights is not something I can do :)

So then she said, what if she went with the next size up that started at 15 pounds. Could she stuff the cover to make it fit. I pulled out a medium cover off the shelf, and showed her just how big that cover was next to her tiny little Jaxon. No this would not work. Perhaps continue with disposables? I pointed out that the cost of disposables till 15 pounds, would be far more than the cost of the tiny baby starter kit, so she would be best getting both. However, funds did not permit her to get both.

So I sat down at my laptop and started to work some mathematical magic. I call it magic, because math is not something I am good at!

With some back and forth, we were able to come up with a package for Jaxon that even included detergent! And it would fit him until he was 28 pounds! And our package used an easy to use diapering system, even for dads. It was not just a simple cover and prefold system.

This is what we put together:

Item	QTY	Price/Each	Total Price
Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go Covers - Size Medium	6	15.95	95.7
Bummis Prefolds Size Small/Infant	18	2.67	48
G-Flappers - Hemp/Microfiber/Microchamois	6	6.00	36
Bummis Fleece Liners	5	1.00	5
Bummis Bio Liners Size Small	1	6.00	6
Large Wet Bag	1	18.95	18.95
Gro-Baby Draw String Wet Bag	1	6.75	6.75
Rocking Green Detergent	1	14.95	14.95
Grand Total			231.35

So for around $230 we got her 24 changes, so she only has to wash every two days. She has plenty of covers to last that period of time. She also got detergent to wash her diapers with. The large wet bag was to store the soiled diapers in. Ideally at some point she would need a second, but she can get by with the one. The Draw String wet bag allows her to have a bag to put soiled diapers in while out and about. Her covers will fit her baby from 12 to 28 pounds, which is well beyond most baby's first year of life. The covers, are also good ones that hold the prefolds and G-flappers in place, which makes it easier for other care givers to change the baby.

So yes, you can diaper a baby on a limited budget and not have to settle for the cheapest covers. And you can make the system last through a long weight range too! And it can be simple enough for other caregivers too!

Would you like to win a Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go cover in the size and colour of your choice? Very simple to enter. Just head on over to my blog and follow the directions on how to enter.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Happy Heinys Sized Diapers & a Giveaway Ends 09-14-2010

I have to say these were one of our favorite pocket diapers when our children were in cloth. One Sized diapers were just coming out in testers when my children were ending their cloth diapering careers.

Our last little darling was allergic to just about everything PUL included. We had been reduced to prefolds with a hemp insert and wool covers. Although they were fantastic and we loved our wool covers there were times that a PUL covered diaper would have been nice. Like nap times or an extended trip shopping would have been great. Happy Heinys were the perfect fit and the answer for us.

What did we love about our Happy Heinys? Just about everything, the wide Aplix closures were great and harder for our little streakier to get off. The no leg casings were the biggest blessing for us because the fleece pokes out around the leg opening the PUL did not touch her skin only the oh so soft fleece. Our last favorite thing about the Happy Heinys is that they do not come with an insert allowing us to use what we all ready had. As our little one could not use the micro fiber inserts it was nice to not have to figure out what to do with an insert we did not need.

The wonderful colors and now even prints made cloth diapering even more fun for us. I remember taking our daughter to get her picture taken, you know the one the famous diaper shot every parent gets of there kids. I had our daughter in a hot pink diaper and the photographer just stood there for the longest time waiting for me to expose the diaper. When I told her the pink was the diaper she was overjoyed to not have to take those boring white disposable diaper shot. The photographer took extras shots just because the diaper was so cute, well that and my baby was so cute of course.

Having sized diapers was perfect for us and we believe that everyone should have some in there stash. The fit is always perfect for your little one and trimmer in the smaller sizes to get under some clothes.

Because we think everyone should have a sized pocket in their stash this months giveaway is one sized solid Happy Heinys pocket diaper in the size you need. The giveaway date is September 14th.
Here is what you need to do:
1) Like Snuggle Hugs LLC on FaceBook
2) Like Snuggle Hugs on Twitter
3) Like Cloth Diaper Cooperative on FaceBook
4) Follow this Blog
5) Comment here as you fill the requirements
6) Winner will be chosen via random.org

Monday, August 30, 2010

Simple steps to start canning!

It is that wonderful time of the year, where you are trying to savor every last bit of the summer and fall produce that you can. This is also the time of the year that I bring out the canning supplies and get to work on saving those moments. It is my hope to also create great memories for my kids as I had as a child as well.

Plus the added benefit is pulling something off the shelve that you created! One of the fun things with canning is that you can change flavors up if you would like.

To get you started with canning here is a quick and easy recipe for canning pickles:

Ingredients Or you can get a Ball pickle mix which is really easy to use.

* 3 to 3-1/4 pounds small pickling cucumbers (I personally use whatever I have available)
* 4 cups water
* 4 cups white vinegar
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/3 cup pickling salt
* 6 tablespoons dillseeds

Step 1:
Collect your cucumbers and wash them:

Start by getting off the ends as the enzymes can affect your canning.

Then slice about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick!

Step 2:
Get Your Boiling Water Canner Ready.

Wash your jars to prepare them for use.

Then place them in your boiling-water canner (some people like to use a different pot, however I figure this way the water is already heated). Turn up the heat to high and get the jar to just about boiling, this will sterilize the jars for use.

Step 3:
This is where you would like to get your supplies ready for starting the canning and get your recipe ready. Get your vinegar out (you can use white vinegar in this recipe or apple cider vinegar) Decide if you would like to use a mix or do your own. The pictures I took were well I was making bread and butter pickles and I choose to use a mix. If you use the recipe above you would combine water, vinegar, sugar and pickling salt. Bring to boiling.

With the mix I used you combined the ingredients and brought it to a boil and then placed your mixture over your cucumbers for 30 minutes or until room temperature. However for the recipe above, pack your cucumbers into pint or quart jars and then add the heated mixture directly into the jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Step 4:
Packing and preparing your jars, here is a picture of the items you will need. You can get them all in a starting canning set.

When placing the liquid in the jar using the funnel helps reduce the mess, especially if you are canning tomatoes or applesauce.

Prepare your lids by putting them in hot, but not boiling water. Boiling water will affect the sealing material on the lid. (REMEMBER TO ONLY USE A LID ONCE)

Take a spatula along the inside of your jar to remove air bubbles.

Then wipe the outer rims of your jars. Any debris can hinder the lid from properly sealing.

Take your lid out of the hot water and place it evenly on your jar.

Place the outer ring on your jar, not to tight though. (The outer rings can be reused.)

Place jars in boiling water for 10 minutes for pickles. For other canning recipes check to see the timing. Tomatoes for instance take 40 minutes for a pint jar and 45 minutes for a quart jar.

Take the out and let them rest. Pickles need to rest for about 3-4 weeks to really get the full flavor. Also you will notice a white film on the outside of my jar, I forgot to add vinegar to the water. That will help reduce that.

I know this can look overwhelming, but it took me about 20 minutes of prep work for getting the pickles ready and about 20 minutes to finish it all up! The more you do it the easier it becomes. Good Luck and happy canning!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

One Size Diapers and the size of YOUR baby

BROUGHT TO YOU BY SIMPLE WONDERS DIAPERS

I often get asked, "which one size diaper is the best?"

My answer usually depends on their baby. Most cloth diapers fit each baby just a little differently. One size cloth diapers are no different.

So how do you decide? Here are a list of the one size diapers that Simple Wonders Diapers carry and a description of how they fit skinny babies, average size babies and large babies/toddlers. These are my opinions (as opposed to the manufacturers) based on my experience with my own kids and the many children I have helped to put in cloth diapers over the past 5+ years.

bumGenius One Size Diapers (Pockets, AIO, and FLIP): Tend to fit skinny babies and average size babies well. Tend not to fit larger babies and toddlers well, although that fit is much improved with the new 4.0 version. Start fitting well around 8-9 lbs. One of the most popular one size diapers out there. They fit trimly and are very easy to get on and off.

Happy Heinys One Size Cloth Diapers (both aplix and snaps): These fit the entire range really well. They start fitting well around 9-10 lbs, but certainly fit babies and toddlers at the upper end of the weight range (35 lbs) and I've seen toddlers even a little bigger fit well into the Happy Heinys One Size diapers. If you have a very large baby or toddler, I suggest either going with the Happy Heinys or Knickernappies One Size.

Knickernappies One Size Diapers: These are another style of one size diaper that fits the whole

range well. They start fitting around 10 lbs. The major bonus with Knickernappies one size diapers is that they actually do fit up to 40lbs. By far, the longest fitting one size diaper.

Rocky Mountain One Size Diaper: These fit well on the smaller end of the range. Unlike other one size diaper though, these fit 7lbs very well. I find the Rocky Mountain One Size Diapers to fit very well on newborns (after the umbilical cord falls off).

Wahmies One Size Diapers: These tend to fit very true to their statement of starting to fit

around 7lbs and up to close to 40lbs. As a bonus, they come in both the hook closures and snaps. Although the hook closures are a little tricky at first, they do get much easier with time. An added bonus of hte hook closures are that they are the ONLY closure a curious toddler cannot get undone.

Fuzzi Bunz One Size Diapers: LOVE these one size diapers! The internal elastic adjustments on them ensure a nice trim fit even on the smaller range of the weight spectrum. They have elastic in both the waist and legs so they can adjust to 8 different size settings rather than the 3 or 4 in most one size diapers that adjust via snaps in the front.

Rumparooz One Size Diapers: The only diapers with the internal gussets that I adore. They will

start fitting at 6.5-7 lbs. If you have a baby that stays on the smaller range of the spectrum, they are wonderful. However, if you have a very large baby that gets even larger as a toddler, you may need fit problems as your toddler reaches the 30 lb mark.

Softbums One Size AI2: Another of my absolute favorites. These get so teeny tiny, it is amazing. Similarly to the Fuzzi Bunz One Size diapers, they adjust via elastic in the legs. However, they have a toggle on the elastic allowing for the ultimate in adjustability. Rather than Softbums fitting into a small, medium and large, it is simply a continuum of fits. Great concept and wonderful fit!

Lollidoo One Size overnight diapers: truly the ultimate overnight solution. However, I also like

the classic lollidoo and the lollidoo diaper covers. All one size! Lollidoos adjust with elastic in the legs and fleece is rediculously stretchy. Fits smaller babies and toddlers well.

Thirsties AI2: choose from a prefold or stay dry duo insert. These are actually 2 sizes - size 1 fits 6-18 lbs and size 2 fits 18-40 lbs. Another nice AI2 system.

Overall recommendations:

If you have a skinny/small baby: you can choose from most any of the one size options. BumGenius, Rumparooz, Softbums, Fuzzi Bunz, Rocky Mountain, Wahmies and Lollidoo Diapers will all work very well for you.

If you have an average size baby: BumGenius, Happy Heinys, Knickernappies, Wahmies, Softbums, Fuzzi Bunz, Lollidoo, Thirsties diapers will all work very well for you.

If you have a larger/very chubby baby: Happy Heinys, Softbums and Knickernappies are wonderful for the cute little chubby legs.

Please keep in mind, these are my opinions after being in the cloth diapering business 5+ years. Do you have any one size diaper tips that you would like share? Just post your response or email it to me at info (at) simplewondersdiapers.com

Friday, August 20, 2010

Prefold meets Fitted and a Giveaway (closed)

Congratulations Lindsey Galvez!
You are the winner!

Hi! This is LeAnn from Giggle Britches again. My very first cloth diaper was a prefold that I trifolded inside a cover. My daughter was about 18 months old at the time. My only disappointment was that my covers would get dirty so easily. Wouldn't it be nice if those prefolds were shaped similar to a fitted diaper?

One of the best features that a prefold has to offer is the soft, absorbent, 100% cotton they are made from. They are easy to launder and very durable too. Without the worry of

detergent build-up on synthetic material, almost any detergent works. So, to blend the advantages of the cotton prefold with the convenience of a fitted diaper seems only natural!

There are many different makers of prefold fitted diapers. Adding some elastic, trimming the length of the prefold, and extending the tabs, turns the prefold into a more convenient, yet still very economical alternative. Most are made without any type of fastener like snaps or velcro. The user decides to Snappi, pin, or just lay inside a snug fitting diaper cover.

Recently, Giggle Brtiches p

artnered with a wonderful WAHM seamstress in the design and manufacture of our own prefold fitteds. They have been tested by some great moms, a few of which are members of this Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative! Made from unbleached indian cotton prefolds, they are super soft and absorbent.

Would you like to win one? Here's how! Hurry, giveaway ends 9/3/10 at 11:59 CST.

Mandatory Entry
(1 entry) Visit Giggle Britches online store and comment on your favorite product they carry.

For extra entries do any or all of the following. Leave a comment for each you do.

(1 entry) Follow @cdretailercoop and @GigglBritches on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, "@GigglBritches and @cdretailercoop are giving away a Giggle Britches prefold fitted! http://bit.ly/cJyrIR #clothdiapers #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet. 1 entry per day.

(1 entry) Follow this blog. Leave a comment.

(1 entry) Grab our button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

(2 entries) Blog about this giveaway and link to it. Post a link in your comment (leave two comments).

(1 entry) Like Giggle Britches on Facebook. Leave a comment.

(1 entry) Like Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative on Facebook. Leave a comment.

LeAnn

Follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/GigglBritches
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