Blueberry Pink Snails & Penguins - Right to Buy Raffle

We know, you're anxiously awaiting these adorable limited edition diapers to stock! Unfortunately we are only receiving a very small shipment and don't have enough for everyone.  To be fair, we're going to hold a right to buy raffle.  All you need to do to enter is complete the Rafflecopter entry form below by following us on Facebook and signing up for our newsletter.  The raffle entries will be open until 12:00 AM ET on Monday, March 16th.  

On Monday, we will go through all the entries and select our winners.  We will notify the winners via email (be sure you enter the correct email address, no typos) on Monday afternoon.  When we contact the winners, you will have 24 hours to pay for your winnings.  We will send winners a PayPal invoice for the amount of their order, unless other arrangements are made with us via email.  We always have free shipping over $49, so if you'd like to add a few extra items we can work with you on that.  

Items Available in the Right to Buy Raffle:

Newborn Simplex AIO: Pink Snails $20.95 + $5.95 shipping

Newborn Simplex AIO: Penguins $20.95 + $5.95 shipping

OS Simplex AIO: Pink Snails $29.95 + $6.95 shipping

OS Simplex AIO: Penguins $29.95 + $6.95 shipping

OS Coverall: Penguins $19.95 + $5.95 shipping

To our knowledge, these items are limited edition and are not available for us to reorder. 

If any of the winners fail to pay their PayPal invoice within 24 hours a new winner will be selected.  Items will process in 2-4 business days.  Standard shipping prices are quoted here. Contiguous US Shipping Only. 

Please only enter the Rafflecopter for those items you are interested in.  You do not have to enter them all.  Each Rafflecopter will have multiple winners.


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Blueberry Pink Snails & Penguins - Right to Buy Raffle

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Have Diaper Will Travel

The challenge: Drive to Kansas City, MO for little sister's graduation, then to Dallas, TX to stay with grandparents, return to Denver safe and happy with daughters 1 & 5 years old, parenting & driving solo.
Total traveling time 14 days. Total driving time ~ 26 hours.

If I had the funds I might call myself addicted to cloth, it is rather difficult stifling the urge to max the credit card with random fluff every time some new print or interesting style arrives on the diaper market. I have tried just about everything currently offered out there. I settled in for the second round with Baby E outfitted with prefolds and wraps. My experience thus far has proven that for ease of use, versatility, and cost effectiveness, prefolds win every time.

My main concern traveling with the diapers had little to do with how and when I would wash them. I was mostly concerned with mildew and other nefarious diaper destroyers. It never even crossed my mind to purchase disposables for the trip. Where we go, the diapers go. Besides, my number one reason for using cloth is that I do not ever have to purchase diapers again, unless I want to---that is freedom.

Anyway, loading up the car, I packed my diapers in a basket, plopped them on top of the rest of our baggage along with my Planet-wise wet bag for ease of access and off we went in the wild blue yonder. I found it's easiest to use the diaper bag staples first and foremost, then replenish dipes and empty lil' wet bag as needed at the rear "baggage compartment." Upon arrival in Texas, the baby had a terrible diaper rash. She screamed so hard at one point on our final stint to the grandparents' house I had to pull over and console her a bit. A swab of cream with a liner and she was good as new less than a day later. On our return trip I made sure to use some of our poly-fleece wipes as little stay-dry liners, and rescued her from an entirely different type of "road rash". My parents live practically on a farm, there are bugs and more bugs. The humidity is so very high as compared to Denver, I mostly worried I would open my wet bag to find a nasty mess of mildew funk. The only other issue was my mother complaining that I was doing too much laundry and her concern that the septic tank couldn't handle the extra activity. Funny thing, as well, I'm almost certain that my mom thought that the poop went into the wash with the diapers. I'm not entirely sure she believed me when I explained that the poo goes in the toilet, the diaper goes in the wash. Ah, the old days of diapering ignorance, I do not miss them. One or two of my wraps accidentally were machine dried during buckets of rain, but mostly I enjoyed the use of a clothesline while we were there.

We, and the diapers, made it safe and sound back home (and we travel old school---no electronic gizmos!) While I am not positive, I think the recent yeast issue is somehow connected with that trip. It is finally dissipating with use of some new Blueberry and Rocky Mountain pockets, and of course momgenuity around diaperless baby air-drying between frequent changes.
Happy Diapering!

Ada is momma to two girls, 1 & 5 years old, enjoying life just west of Denver, CO. Mommy-blogger, triathlete, sew cool, Ashtangi, reader, writer, casual crafty, baby-wearin', cloth-diaperin', homeschoolin' joyful wife and mother.

Have Diaper Will Travel

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Cloth Diapering at Six Weeks

My newborn cloth diapering experiments continue…can you tell how much I’m loving this?  At 6 weeks and roughly 11 ½ lbs he is still comfortably in the Happy Heinys.  The Bum Genius AIO Size XS and FuzziBunz XS Pockets are just starting to get a little snug, but still work very well.  I have added a couple of new diapers to my routine: Applecheeks Size 1, Thirsties Cover Size XS, Blueberry Mini Deluxe and Tots Bots Tiny Fit.  He has completely grown out of the Rumparooz Lil Joeys and the premie prefolds so they have been retired.

Of this new group of diapers the Tots Bots Tiny Fit is my favorite.  It is a great fit with room to grow, the inside is super soft against him and the fact that you don’t have to unstuff them prior to washing is a great bonus.  We haven’t had any leaking though it is a very trim diaper.  I give a definite thumbs-up on this diaper.  It has prompted me to take a look at the Tots Bots Easy Fit for down the road when he’s wearing one size diapers.

The Blueberry Mini Deluxe is an incredible diaper.  It is very similar to the Happy Heiny in that it is a mini one-size.  It has snaps to adjust the rise like a one-size, but it is just smaller (hence the name mini).  You can start with this diaper in the hospital and it seems like it will fit for quite a while (it claims up to 15lbs, I’m thinking I will be able to push it longer than that).  It is very absorbent, fits great around the belly and thighs and never leaked.  It’s definitely a favorite, though I would love the option of aplix both for fit and ease when fumbling around mid-slumber during the night.  

I’ve previously asserted that I am not a prefold and cover kind of gal, but I have to say I’m really liking the Thirsties cover.  I have paired this with a newborn prefold and can appreciate that it was leak-free and inexpensive.  My favorite, however, is to use it with the Thirsties Duo Insert Size 1.  This insert has tons of layers to absorb, a stay-dry top layer and it unsnaps for quick drying time.  Keeping in mind that we are working with EBF poops, he has dirtied the cover when using the insert instead of the prefold, but he has never leaked out of this cover.  For those who want to keep newborn cloth diapering costs down I would highly recommend this cover with either insert option.

The Applecheeks is a different kind of diaper.  You can use it as a cover or a pocket and as a pocket you do not have to unstuff it prior to washing.  It is generous in size so it will definitely fit him for a while and the pocket is big enough to stuff with whatever you would like.  I found the Applecheeks Bamboo 3-pli insert to be a bit bulky for such a little guy so I just stuff it with a small size microfiber insert and a bamboo booster and it works great.  The bonus, for boys in particular, is the elastic on the front waistband of the diaper as well as the back to really help prevent leaks.  This diaper seems like it will fit for quite a while, but it is kind of pricey compared to other covers or pockets.  Though it’s a good diaper, I would definitely have a list of several others I would purchase more of before this one.

At six weeks in I feel that my preferences have been a mix of very predictable (my love for pockets remains strong even for newborns) and a bit unpredictable (really enjoying the Thirsties Cover, Duo Insert and even dabbling in prefolds).  What has been quite surprising to me, however, is the lack of blow-outs with all of these diapers.  I have not-so-fond memories of many, many blow-outs with disposables when my daughter was a young infant.  The cloth has held up beautifully against breastfed poops and impressed me yet again. 

By Jennifer G.

Cloth Diapering at Six Weeks

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Flats Challenge Accepted

Saying that anyone can cloth diaper by using flats and hand washing the diapers is one thing, doing it is another.  I’ve collected all of the things that I think I am going to need for the Flats Challenge.

First off, birdseye flat diapers:
I am using twelve Swaddlebees flats and six OsoCozy unbleached flats.  I bought the Swaddlebees because I am a sucker for prints, even if they are going to end up under a diaper cover.  To add extra absorbency for naps and overnight, I am going to use the OsoCozy flats pad folded as doublers since they are a little bit smaller than the Swaddlebees.

Next up the covers:
I have no shortage of covers but since I had to choose just five, I wanted the ones that have proven to work the best.  I am choosing a Bummis Super Brite wrap, a Thirsties  Cover, a Kissaluvs kissa’s one size cover, a Blueberry one size, and a Hiney Liney Versa cover.  The Hiney Liney is my wildcard cover.  I just recently found out about them and bought a cover specifically for the flats challenge. 

Hand Washing
I really love the idea of the camp washer so I ran out and bought all of the supplies to make it.  A friend was even able to find me a plunger at the Dollar Store, thus making it even less expensive to make the camp washer.  Once it was made, I did some test runs with mediocre success.  The rubber plunger has such a strong smell, I couldn’t figure out if I was getting the diapers clean.  Somehow I can’t tell the difference between the smell of ammonia and the smell of cheap rubber.  So I have decided to do a cold rinse in the camp washer, dump the water, add hot water, agitate the diapers with Rockin’ Green in the camp washer using the smelly plunger and then do all of my final rinsing in a basin in the kitchen sink.  I’m rinsing in the sink to make sure that all of the soap is out and also to rinse off the smell of the plunger.  Since my hands are going to end up touching very hot water (we have our hot water heater set dangerously high) and freezing cold water, I am using my Blue Meanies.  (My fancy dishwashing gloves that I registered for when we got married and never used). 

Once washed and rinsed, the diapers are going on to my drying rack.  I just have a simple drying rack from Target so the diapers don’t fit perfectly.  I need to use backs of chairs, towel bars and the dishwasher and oven handles for additional space.  There will be diapers all over my kitchen while they are drying. 

Strategy
I plan on washing the diapers every other night after the kids go to bed.  This will leave enough time for the diapers to dry before they wake up in the morning.  Some of the diapers on the inside of the drying rack are still going to be damp by morning, so I am just going to put the whole drying rack on my kitchen island until they are dry.

Extra Credit
The extra fun and excitement portion of the flats challenge is that we are traveling from Boston to Philadelphia for Memorial Day weekend to visit a friend.  So we will be traveling with flats and washing somewhere else.  I think I will have to boil water to use in the camp washer outside and rinse the diapers outside with a hose while we are visiting because I don’t want our hosts to feel uncomfortable that dirty diaper water would end up anywhere in their home.

About the writer:
Emily is a work from home mother of two little girls.  She has been cloth diapering since the birth of her older daughter in 2008 and co-founded Giving Diapers Giving Hope to offer cloth diapers to families in need and educate the public about cloth diapering. 

Flats Challenge Accepted

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Fluff Friday 130

Fluff Friday

2-Blueberry One-Size Diaper Covers

1-Swaddlebees Flat Cloth Diapers 6pk

Question of the week:

What is your favorite on-line parenting community? Please respond by Thursday, May 19th, at 7pm EST. (You can only answer the "Question of the Week" ONCE PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY.)

Other ways to enter:

1. Head on over to the Swaddlebees and Blueberry Facebook page. Leave a comment on their wall that The Cloth Diaper Whisperer sent you.
2. Being a follower of our blog or subscribing to our blog, gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower.
3. Commenting in other posts during the week will give you ONE EXTRA comment PER EACH comment that you make. Simply post a comment on this one saying the title of the post where you wrote your comment. So, what are you waiting for?? Participating in other posts pays off!!! You must have your Blogger profile accessible to be selected as a winner.
4. Advertising the giveaway in a forum or other blog gives you ONE extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a advertising and where.
5. Using our button on your blog (or starting to) gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are using it and where.
6. Being a fan of our Facebook group gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Post a comment with your facebook id as a comment to this post.
7. Being a follower on Twitter gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower and your Twitter ID.
8. One entry for signing up for our newsletter at Kelly's Closet. Post a comment when you sign up or if you are already signed up.
9. Tweet @flipdiapers fluff friday #clothdiapers giveaway Enter at http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/. Then come back and comment that you tweeted AND the exact tweet (not tweet id status).
10. Tweet any unique tweet with @swaddlebees #clothdiapers. Cut and paste your tweet (not tweet id status) and post as a comment. You can get 1 entry for EVERY unique tweet!
11. Being an affiliate of Kelly's Closet. Please post your affiliate id in your comment.
12. Place an order at any DiaperShops store between 5/13-5/19. Post your order # and order date in the comments.
13. Leave a product review at Kelly's Closet and return to the blog and comment which product you reviewed.
14. Start a thread about our giveaway or comment on a thread that is about or giveaway on any chat room (http://www.diaperpin.com/, http://www.diaperswappers.com/, etc) . Post the name of the thread AND the url of your comment.
15. Start a new discussion (or respond to a current discussion) on either DiaperShops Facebook or The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Facebook. Come back and leave a comment with the title of discussion AND which Facebook page you posted on as a comment to this post.

Have questions?? Visit our FAQ's.

How? We will draw one winner randomly with an "Online Number Generator" and will make a post with the winner on Friday, May 20th. It is the responsibility of the winner to contact us to claim their prize.

Who can participate? US Residents are welcome!

Important note about the winner: If we haven't heard from the winner by the closing time of next week's giveaway, we will choose another winner that will be published TOGETHER with next week's winner.

Good luck, and don't forget to tell all your family and friends about the giveaway! In case that you don't win, what a better person to win than a friend of yours!!

Fluff Friday 130

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Cloth Diapers Over Time for Changing and Special Needs

Husband and I were elated when we learned that Baby J was going to be a big brother. We were also a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of parenting two children under two. I started looking for ways to save money. Cloth diapers topped the list. It also didn’t hurt that cloth would lessen our carbon footprint, be gentler on our little ones’ bottoms, and the diapers are just so darn cute.

Husband wasn’t convinced at first but he agreed after trying some all-in-2s and pockets and seeing how easy they are to use. Our family favorites are Gro Via, bumGenius, FuzziBunz and Happy Heinys. Husband is fully on board now and he even does diaper laundry.

I am thrilled that using cloth has saved our family (a lot of!) money but my motivations have changed over time. After Bean’s birth, it quickly became clear that he was different than “typical” children. He had a number of health problems and global developmental delays. After many months, countless therapy sessions and even more doctor appointments, we pursued genetics testing and learned that Bean has Williams Syndrome. Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterized by heart defects, kidney abnormalities, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and distinctive facial features. Individuals with Williams Syndrome are unique because they also possess striking verbal abilities, an affinity and talent for music and have very outgoing and endearing personalities.

Having a child with special needs has changed my perspective on a lot of things. There’s so much uncertainty and so many things I can’t control. But there are some things that I can do to impact Bean’s life in a positive way. I consider cloth to be one of those things. It feels good to know that I am using a gentle and safe product against his skin. He is not sitting in chemical-laden diapers day in and day out. He has had a lot of pain in his life but diaper rash has never been a factor.

Cloth has also had a positive impact on his brother’s life. Baby J was in cloth diapers until we started potty learning. When he first learned about pull ups from his peers, he insisted on wearing them. We really only used them outside of the house and at bedtime. I found them to be essentially useless in helping him to learn about potty time. He would wet the pull up and continue about his day. So, we made the switch to regular cotton underpants at home and cloth trainers when we are out and about. Our favorite, by far, are Blueberry trainers. They are very trim and feel like underpants. They protect his clothes but he can feel when he has an accident. As a result, he has made a lot of progress.

This is also encouraging because we expect that Bean will be delayed in learning to use the potty. We hope that cloth will help him meet this milestone and gain more independence sooner than expected for children with Williams Syndrome.

Cloth has grown with our family as we have grown and changed. I am confident that by using cloth, I am doing the right thing for my children and our family and meeting our evolving needs by using cloth.

Biography: Heather is the proud mama to two charming boys and wife to an amazing husband. She can be found blogging about Baby J, a wonderful and spirited three year old, and Bean, her sweet 20 month old living with Williams Syndrome at www.babyjandbean.blogspot.com.

Cloth Diapers Over Time for Changing and Special Needs

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Cloth Diapering a Toddler

Now at the age of 2 ½ I was hoping my youngest son would have potty learned by now. His older brother trained easily at 29 months old, so I was kind of hoping that he would as well. After diapering for over four years now, I’m anxious to leave the world of poopy diapers in the past, even if it means saying farewell to my cloth diapering days. We gave potty learning a shot a few months ago only to have it all go downhill after a great first day. Not wanting to push the subject only to frustrate us both, I decided to follow my son’s ques, and wait until he is ready to try again.  We are back to him using the toilet before bath time, but he still refuses to tell me that he needs to go during the day. This leads me to believe that my #1 New Years resolution is to help him potty learn before his 3rd birthday in March.

After being over 10 pounds at birth, Brendan continues to be a big boy. He’s been over 30lbs for over a year now and outgrew many of his one size diapers long ago. This lead to a difficult time finding CD’s that both fit him well and worked to my satisfaction. The only one size diapers that still fit well for us are the Blueberry Minky diapers that I’ve had in my stash for two years now. The rest of my stash is now made up of toddler size fitted diapers made by a WAHM for Piddle Poodles.  These diapers give me the rise my son needs, as well as the fit around the waist without digging into his skin. Of course, the larger fitted diapers also make it difficult to find covers that work over them. I’ve found the only commercially available cover that fits well are the large Thirsties covers. In addition, my son now wears a lot of wool and fleece pants since they work double duty as a cover and as pants. Of course this also gives me a great excuse to buy beautiful wool yarns to knit into longies for him!

Brendan has been in cloth ever since he was around 11 weeks old. It’s amazing to think that when we first began cding he was just beginning to fit in the smallest setting of his BumGenius 3.0’s, and now he literally is bursting at the seams in almost all CD’s.  Cloth diapering a toddler has proven itself as an adventure in itself, but at the cost of toddler size disposable diapers I see the financial savings each time I pass by the diaper isle at the store.

By Katrina W.

Cloth Diapering a Toddler

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What Would I Buy More Of?

I was recently asked by a friend just starting to cloth diaper, “What would you buy more of?”

When it comes to cloth diapers the easier question is, what wouldn’t I buy!  I am always on the look-out for the newest innovation or a style I haven’t tried or a brand about which others rave.  However, this made me take a good, hard look at my stash.  If the only diapers available were the ones in my stash, what would I definitely buy more of?  What could I live without?  What would I be devastated to lose?  Thankfully she didn’t limit me to one or even two because I don’t know if I could do that, but I know that several quickly popped into my head as my absolute favorites.  I’ve narrowed it down to my top three:

• Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size-To be quite honest these took me a while to fall in love with, but now it is a full-on affair.  The fleece on the inside of the FB is unlike any other diaper.  It is plush and soft, resists stains and wears beautifully.  They are my go-to naptime diaper because they are leak-proof and cozy, but I will reach for them anytime, anywhere. I have not tried the FB One-Size and, honestly, don’t feel any need.  My daughter has fit in the Perfect Size medium from the time she was 4 months old.  She is now 20 months old (and certainly not a petite 20 month old, by any means) and still fits them very comfortably with room to spare.
• Bum Genius 4.0-I have been a huge fan of Bum Genius from the moment my daughter started in cloth.  The BG 3.0’s were definitely a staple, but now that the 4.0 is here with snaps they are nearly perfect.  They are durable, leak-proof and very trim.  I have no worries that the new, larger sizing will definitely last until potty training.  I could go on and on about their amazing attributes, but the bottom line is that these are one of the diapers that I rely on for a trim-fit, trusty leak-proof protection and dry overnights.
• Blueberry Pockets- My first Blueberry diaper seemed like a big splurge to me.  They have now come down in price making them comparable to most other one-size pockets on the market.  Most of my Blueberries have the microterry/hemp-combo insert which is unbelievable in absorption, rarely retains any odors and is remarkably thin considering how many layers of protection you’re getting.  The colors and prints are beautiful, the sizing has always been perfect and the materials are top of the line.

These are hands-down the three diapers I couldn’t live without.  I have many others in my stash that I use daily and, truly, they all have their strengths.  I always thought my end goal would be to find one diaper that would make up my whole stash and buy a ton of them, but I would really miss my mish-mash variety.  In the end, if pressed to have a stash made up of one diaper only, I could choose any one of these three and have a very dependable supply. The real question, however, is why would I ever want to limit myself!?!

Could you choose one or two favorites or, like me, do you love having more options?

By Jennifer G.

What Would I Buy More Of?

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Retrospect; My Advice on Buying Cloth Diapers

When my dad does something, anything, no matter what it was, he does it 150% percent. Scuba diving? He bought the most expensive scuba gear and equipment! Metal detecting? Yep, he had a fancy schmancy metal detector. Muscle cars? He owned a 1969 Hemi Super Bee (commonly referred to as his “retirement”). I even created a stand-up routine that lasted more than 10 minutes highlighting some of his many “hobbies.”

Alas, I am very much my father’s daughter! My mom and I have a long standing joke: “Mirror Mirror On the Wall... I am my father after all!”

Therefore it was no surprise when I finally succumbed to my incredible urge to cloth diaper that I would become the cloth diaper aficionado I am today. Despite being my dad’s twin, there’s one thing I’ve learned from him that has always proven beneficial; RESEARCH BEFORE you buy!

I spent DAYS (not just a few minutes here and there over the course of a couple days, but hours upon hours) pouring over all the cloth diaper options available (at the time). Reading reviews, analyzing the pros and cons of just about every diaper option and brand, deciphering detergents (what was and was not recommended), laundry routines, you name it, I did the research on it!

Finally I settled on purchasing the bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diapers. So I spent another two days comparison shopping. I was determined to find the best possible price (I’m all for saving money whenever possible especially on such a hearty investment as cloth diapers). I quickly discovered Kelly’s Closet had the best package deals (and still does in my slightly biased opinion). I decided on the Shop and Go package (comes with virtually everything you need to get started - diapers, wipes, wet bag, diaper sprayer) and purchased a few additional diapers to have a plentiful stash.

After using the bumGenius diapers I was SOLD on cloth diapers! I also used prefolds and diaper covers in the early weeks because I wanted to “save” my pocket diapers from wear and tear! Yes, I know these are just diapers and they’re meant to get used - but I’m VERY particular about keeping my things looking nice and brand spakin’ new for as long as possible!

It was not long before I branched out and tried other diapers such as the Happy Heinys One Size diapers (thanks to the Happy Heinys/Baby Frenzy Fashion Show we were able to participate in here in San Diego last year). Then I ordered a couple of the Blueberry One Size diapers and I fell in love with those diapers - the diapers fit great, snaps are easy to use and the hemp combination insert is super absorbent.

Needless to say all of the amazing sales Kelly’s Closet offered only fed my addiction! Seriously, how many of you have the strength to say no to a diaper sale? I can’t imagine many of you raising your hands! (Yes, believe it or not I was just an ordinary Kelly’s Closet customer before I became the cloth diaper guru many of you rely on for tips, advise, and recommendations.)

Now, of course, I have a new excuse for buying and trying every new diaper that comes out because, after all, I have to be able to know what I’m talking about when someone asks about a particular diaper, right? All in the name of customer service! At least that’s what I try to tell my husband when he sees the changing table and two closets overflowing with diapers! *Sheepish grin*

What, if anything, would I have advised myself back then when I was a “newbie”, knowing what I do now? Hindsight is always 20/20, eh?!? I would definitely advise buying a sample of various diapers that interest you most. At least this way you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket! While I love the bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diapers I quickly discovered there were other amazing diapers I wish I had given a try first before investing so much in one diaper.

Retrospect; My Advice on Buying Cloth Diapers

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Making An Old Diaper Like New

Now that Brendan, my youngest son, is almost a year and a half old, I've noticed some of my diaper have began to show some wear. After all, my initial cloth diaper purchase of 24 bumGenius 3.0's was heavily used the first 3-4 months while I was cloth diapering two children. Earlier this year I noticed that five of my bumGenius 3.0's were experiencing lifting between the aplix/velcro and the diaper. It wasn't completely separated, but it was well on it's way. Knowing bumGenius offers a 1 year warranty on their diapers, I contacted their customer service and explained the problem. They happily exchanged the diapers for me. All I had to do is provide proof of purchase with the date (from Kelly's Closet of course!), and ship the diapers to them in clean, unaltered condition. Within a week or so, five new bumGenius 3.0 diapers where in my mailbox. Yea for fluffy mail!!

As summer progressed, Brendan began to figure out how to take off diapers with aplix/velcro...a problem I never had with my older son. I quickly grew tired of extra changes due to him loosening the diaper and allowing his clothing to get wet. I heard of people converting their hook and loop diapers to snaps; so I began to look into that option to solve our new problem. I found quite a few people who sell this service, and chose one whom I "know" from an online forum. I chose to convert 7 diapers: five of my bumGenius 3.0's and two of my Blueberry Minky's.

It is very important to note that by altering the diapers, you will void any warranty on them. This wasn't a problem for me since I chose diapers that were past their warranty period. I sent off my diapers, and about two weeks later, I had 7 "new" diapers that my son can't take off. They turned out looking great, and I am happy to say that our problem has been solved. I was so happy that I was able to salvage the diapers that I already had in my stash, and give them even longer life. Whereas I love buying new fluff, I enjoy adding to my stash, not replace diapers already in it.

Making An Old Diaper Like New

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Diaper Change Decisions

What I am about to reveal is an unfiltered, full-strength view of the process by which I choose my daughter’s diapers at each and every diaper change. This is less about the functionality of the different diapers and more about the fun I have with them. Given the details you’re about to read you might think I’d be embarrassed; actually there’s a good chance you will think I should be embarrassed, but in this forum I have no shame. Expose me to the rest of the world and I’m a complete lunatic, but amongst my fellow fluff friends, I’m just one of the girls.

My first revelation is that the outfit my daughter will wear for the day is usually chosen based on which diapers are available for use. Yes, you read it, her diapers dictate her fashion! I usually choose dresses because they provide optimal exposure for the diap. My favorite dresses are multicolored because they allow me the widest variety of diapers to choose. It’s not as simple as matching the outfit to the diaper, however. In fact, I usually don’t “match.” I coordinate. Yes, there is a difference! Stay with me now…I will never put a diaper on that is the same color as the predominant color in the dress, too predictable! I will pull a secondary or tertiary color in the dress and that will be the diaper I choose. For instance, a purple striped dress with yellow flowers and green stems? On go the Butternut or Grasshopper bumGenius One Size diaper. Pink dress with eggplant stripes? The Blackberry Gro Baby is the obvious choice. My favorite is a little navy dress that has so many colors in it that I can use the Blossom, Twilight, Grasshopper or Zinnia Bum Genius, as well as two different colors of SoftBums. I have waaay too much fun with this!

My second determining factor? How much she will be seen, of course! If it’s a high-profile day, which for a 6 month old means shopping, lunching, visiting or the potential for paparazzi (okay so the only paparazzi is her mama, but I do take a lot of pictures) we go with one of her cuter patterned diapers. For these, I don’t like to be too matchy-matchy. I almost like a slight clash to make the diaper stand out. I will do stripes matched with polka dots or flowers with circles. She has the Pink on Chocolate Blueberry Organic Bamboo Velour One Size diaper (we call it her “Fancy” or “Gourmet” diaper) and it looks just so adorable with dresses that have pink stripes or brown flowers. Everyone notices this diaper; it’s just so cute!

Trimness is another very important factor. My Gro Baby or hemp-stuffed bumGenius diapers are the trimmest in our stash. I will always reach for these first when going out. I’ll also put these on with outfits requiring pants so she doesn’t look so bulky. My FuzziBunz Perfect Size diapers are usually my nap or in-the-house-with-a-t-shirt diapers because they’re a little thicker. And they just seem so soft and cozy for naptime. I’ll always save a bumGenius for the end of the day and double stuff it for overnight.

Factors that are always in the back of my head…I have more Blossom and Zinnia in my stash than any other color so I will use those for naps, etc and save my blues, greens, purples, yellows, etc for fun matching opportunities. I will try to coordinate with my Gro Baby when possible if we’re going out because the shells are reusable and I can just throw a couple of snap-ins into my diaper bag. And my poor Happy Heinys One Size diaper, though I truly do love the function of the diaper, rarely sees the light of day or the public eye. It is purely superficial discrimination and very unfair, but the thing is FLOURESCENT PINK! It could be used to guide airplanes or highlight textbooks!

With all of these complicated factors, coordinating colors and contrasting patterns you would think a diaper change would take forever, but, scary as it may sound, this has become second nature for me. I can dress my daughter quicker (and, like most moms, better) than I can dress myself. It is a fine-tuned, carefully honed skill and for right now I have a very compliant little model. Now if only dressing my 4 year old was this easy…

-- By Jennifer G.

Diaper Change Decisions

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What I Grab and Why

I’ve noticed that lately I’ve been rather consistent on the type of diaper I grab at different diaper changes throughout the day. I tend to grab a pocket diaper, usually a bumGenius 3.0 or Blueberry first thing in the morning if Brendan, my 17 month old, hasn’t messed his overnight diaper. I have found it easier to knock off the solids with my diaper sprayer from a lined pocket, than the other types of diapers in my stash.

If he’s already done his big messy diaper for the day, I will move right on to my current favorite diaper…my Kiwi Pie Fitteds. I love the cute patterns, and the terrific fit they give me on my skinny little man. Since he is a rather heavy wetter, I usually double up the diaper with an additional insert between the diaper and the cover. Right now I have Kissaluvs Diaper Doublers, bumGenius Stay Dry Diaper Doublers, and Thirsties Fab Doublers, but I’m anxious to add some bamboo doublers to my stash due to their incredible absorbency. I finish up the diaper change with a waterproof cover, my current favorite being Thirsties and Wonder Wraps. My only wish is that they came in snaps – my little guy has become quite good at unhooking the Velcro – even when it’s concealed underneath his clothing! As soon as I can add more to my stash, I plan on trying a Blueberry One-Size Coverall – I love the cute patterns and the fact that they are available in snaps.

Another frequent go to diaper for daytime, as well as afternoon naps, are my Birdseye Cotton flat diapers. I have been folding one in the traditional style, and then adding a second one folded up as a doubler in the center of the diaper. I then lay it in the diaper cover and put it on Brendan. Sometimes I use a snappi, but most days my little guy can’t lay still during diaper changes, so I usually just skip that step.

At night time, I use my bumGenius 3.0’s exclusively. I stuff them with a Super Do Insert and we’re ready to go for 12 hours without leaks. I first purchased these inserts for use with my 3 year old for nighttime, but now that he’s night time trained, I have switched them to my youngest son’s night time diaper. I was hesitant at first due to the cost per insert, but as soon as I tried the first one, I bought two more right away. They are by far the best night time insert and worth every dollar.

-- by Katrina

What I Grab and Why

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A Peak Inside My World of Fluff

Over the past nine months my diaper stash has grown from two twilight BumGenius 3.0 pocket diapers, to over 50 various pocket and fitted diapers and several dozen flats. Up until a few months ago I had two little ones in diapers full time, but thankfully, my oldest is now day trained and only wears cloth at night. My current diaper rotation consists of around 35 or so diapers, which allows me to do diaper laundry just twice a week. I like all of the diapers in my current stash, but there are definitely certain diapers that I grab for at specific times, as well as diapers that I prefer when my son is wearing smaller fitting clothing. Whereas I couldn’t live without my #1 diaper, the BumGenius 3.0’s, they tend to be a bit bulkier than some of my other options. Here’s a peak into my stash, the diapers I can’t live without, and the three I grab first at changing time.

#1 BumGenius 3.0
The diaper that makes up more than 50% of my pocket diaper stash is the BumGenius 3.0. I love this diaper and can’t rave about it enough. It is the perfect diaper for taking on the road with me for quick day trips, as well as leaving home with daddy or the babysitter to change. I’ve even had success packing the BumGenius, along with my Planet Wise Wet Bag, and leaving it at the Church nursery when I drop my kids off on Sunday morning. This diaper is incredibly absorbent, rarely leaks, and contains the biggest blowouts – even with breastfed baby poop. (Can anyone say that about a disposable?) My youngest son, Brendan, began wearing the BumGenius 3.0 at around 3 months old and around 13 lbs. The fit was fantastic then, and now at 1 year old and 24 lbs, the fit is still wonderful.

Of all the diapers in my stash, the BumGenius 3.0 is the only diaper I trust at both naptime and overnight. To increase absorbency at night, I simply add a BabyKicks Hemparoo JoeyBunz insert, and we’re good to go for up to 12 hours. If I could only have one type of diaper in my stash, the BumGenius would be it. This diaper makes cloth diapering just as easy as disposables, and I wouldn’t want to live without it.

#2 Birdseye Flats
Yes, you read that right. I use flats and love them! I only wish I would have discovered how easy they are to use earlier in my cloth diapering days. Last month I was looking for a cheap alternative to using my pocket diapers while I was at home, which is most of the time. I wanted to lessen the wear on my BumGenius diapers, and wanted something that would be simple to care for. I did some research and decided to give flats a try. I was attracted to the low price, as well as the ease in washing and drying them. Being so thin, they dry very quickly, which in turn saves me money when using my electric dryer. Living in WI I just can’t line dry my fluff year round as I would like to - I’d end up with cloth diaper popsicles. In most cases, I use two styles of folds when using my flats – the traditional flat fold and the origami fold.

Traditional Flat Fold

Begin by folding the flat in half.

Fold one side of the diaper just past the center of the cloth.

Fold the other side just past the same center mark on the cloth so that there are now several layers of cloth in the center of the diaper.

I then fold the side of the diaper as shown for tapered fit.

Place diaper in cover, folded side down and you’re ready to go.

Origami Flat Fold

Start by folding the diaper in half, and then in half again to create a square

At the top corner where all four corners meet, grab the top three layers with one hand, and put the other corner away, so that there is a triangle of fabric flat on the folding surface. (This took me a few tries to perfect, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a few times to get it right.)

You will notice a square shaped piece of fabric attached to the center of the triangle. Fold this square to around the center of the “square”.

Fold again into the far edge of the square, and adjust to the center of the “triangle” if necessary.

For a trimmer fit around the legs, you can gently fold in the sides of the diaper as shown here.

Place the folded diaper in a cover and you’re ready to go.

I lay my folded diapers in a Thirsties or Bummis diaper cover and we’re good to go. I don’t even bother with pins or snappis, as I’ve found that I really don’t need them when using a proper fitting diaper wrap or cover.

#3 Blueberry Minky One Size
I only own two of these diapers, but if they are clean, I will always grab for them when I want to show off my fluff. The fire opal and cute jaguar prints always catch people’s attention at changing time, or when I am letting my little guy run around the house in just a diaper. I’ve started several conversations on cloth diapering with people after they catch a glimpse of these way too cute diapers. I’m anxious to add a few more of these to my stash in the next few months. Sooner or later the warmer weather will find us in Wisconsin , and my little guy will be able to strut around in just a diaper.

Well, that’s a peak into my world of fluff and a little a about my favorite diapers. I have several other brands in my stash that I like including, Fuzzi Bunz, BumWear, Thirsties Fab Fitteds and several made by a work at home mom. I am always anxious to try new diapers, and can’t wait to check out the Kiwi Pie One Size Bamboo Fitteds as well as the new Gro Baby and Fuzzi Bunz One Size diapers. Not that I need any more fluff…but doesn’t it seem we are always wanting more?


- By Katrina W.

A Peak Inside My World of Fluff

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Show and Tell - Stash Post

Some women have an addiction to shoes, and/or handbags, even electronics (yes, women can be addicted to electronics too). However, we become moms and for most, those addictions change. High heeled shoes are replaced with comfy flats; handbags are replaced with diaper bags (don’t fret, there are some really cute and trendy diaper bags out there to accessorize with)… but I don’t think many even consider an addiction to diapers, unless you cloth diaper of course!

By now, many of you know I’m not only in LOVE with cloth diapers but addicted too! I’ve had to give myself a monthly allowance to prevent me from buying virtually everything on Kelly’s Closet. Thankfully, with the Diaper Dollars™ program we all get rewarded for shopping at Kelly’s Closet; so I like to reward myself! LOL!

With all that said – people have often asked, “What exactly is in your stash?” and “What do you like best, and what, if anything, do you not like?”

So here’s a list of the diapers I currently have on hand:
16 Blueberry One Size pockets
22 bumGenius One Size 3.0 pockets
10 bumGenius One Size Organic All-in-Ones (Snaps and Hook/Loop)
1 bumGenius Deluxe All-in-One 3.0 (Medium)
2 Bumwear One Size Batik Print pockets
1 Drybees Pocket
7 Fuzzi Bunz Seconds (Medium)
1 Fuzz Bunz One Size (The original version 1.0 one-size NOT the newer version that is still waiting to be released through Kelly’s Closet)
1 GoodMama One Size Fitted
8 Happy Heiny’s One Size pockets (Aplix)
2 Happy Heiny’s One Size pockets (Snaps)
4 Happy Heiny’s Pull-up Trainers
1 Kissaluv’s Fitted
5 Kiwi Pie One Size Fitteds
1 Mommy’s Touch Pocket
1 Mommy’s Touch All-in-One
1 Muttaqin Baby One Size Fitted
1 Rocky Mountain One Size pocket
1 Soft Bums One Size All-in-Two w/3 Organic Bamboo Velour soakers
2 Wahmies One Size pockets (Hooks)
8 dozen Prefolds (from newborn/infant through premium/toddler)
14 Thirsties Covers (7 small and 7 medium)
1 Wonder Wraps One Size Cover
6 pairs of Diaper pins
4 Snappi’s

Ok, so needless to say I have a TON of diapers in my stash. (Still waiting for y’all to pick your jaws off the floor, LOL) And, I’m anxiously awaiting, like the rest of you, the release of other diapers such as the improved Fuzz Bunz One Size Version 2.0.

Now, I hear you asking, “Serena, why so many diapers?”

In all honesty, I really like trying a little of everything. BUT, I also like being able to provide a well-rounded and experienced opinion for all you mamas and Diaper Shops customers (Kelly’s Closet, Fuzzi Bunz Online, One Size Diaper Store, and Bulk Cloth Diaper). Every baby is unique and with so many cloth diapering options out there, it’s truly a challenge trying to figure out what is going to work best for you and your little one! And we’re always here to help with real (and honest) hands-on experience!

Additionally, I like having some diapers to leave at my parents house (Nana and Papa)… so the bumGenius pocket diapers with the hook and look (Velcro) closures are great for the hesitant grandparent(s)!

Lastly, I want more babies so I plan to be cloth diapering more little bums to come!

What exactly do I like best?

That depends on my mood! Some days I thoroughly enjoy using prefolds and covers other days I like my all-in-one’s and pocket diapers, and most recently I started appreciating fitted diapers.

My current diaper favorites are:

bumGenius One Size Organic All-in-Ones (snaps)
Soft Bums All-in-Two
Blueberry One Size diaper

The bumGenius One Size Organic All-in-One is really a wonderful grab and go diaper which features soft organic cotton; and with the wonderful stretchy bumGenius tabs, it’s easy to get the right fit every time (and super trim)!

Soft Bums All-in-Two diaper is one of THE trimmest cloth diapers I’ve had the pleasure of using! While it is a one size diaper but it is NOT a pocket… the “inserts” are actually soakers which snap in and are very soft and absorbent (I have the bamboo velour/organic cotton soakers). Once you get over the sticker shock, these are really are worth the money!

My next top favorite one size is the Blueberry One Size diaper. Blueberry uses a combination of micro-terry and hemp cotton for a super absorbent, yet trim, insert (which also makes the diaper relatively trim compared to other one size diapers). I like these diapers best for my trips outside the house (they also come is a lovely variety of colors, as well as snaps or touch tape to accommodate your personal preferences).

What is your least favorite?

Previously I didn’t quite understand the all the rage with fitted diapers. So, a couple months ago I convinced myself to buy a couple used fitteds when I noticed them online in the Gently Used Diapers category on Kelly’s Closet (I do daily window shopping to add to my wish list). After trying them I still didn’t quite “get it.” Fitteds are so very soft and fluffy but since they require a diaper cover, I couldn’t really appreciate the adorable prints!

However, most recently my little one developed a yeast rash and my husband kept complaining that his pocket diapers looked like they were too tight and the material was just “too hot” in his opinion (despite my assurance that the PUL fabric is relatively thin and does allow to air to circulate). He insisted on opening up the baby’s diapers and leaving him exposed… I, on the other hand, was so fearful that his sprinkler might go off at any moment; so I grabbed the fitteds and put those on the baby instead. Upon inspection, my husband liked and approved the fitteds.

FANTASTIC! That just gave me an excuse to buy more diapers. With the rash, the fitteds allowed me to cover my little one with the wonderful softness of cloth, but also be more attentive to when he needed a change by going coverless (and I was then able to enjoy the cute and oh-so-soft fabrics).

Therefore, I’m hesitant to say that fitteds are my least favorite because I now appreciate them. The only downside is having to cover up all that lusciously soft and adorable fabric. (I *just* got my order of Kiwi Pie fitteds. I’m sooooo excited to try them out!)

What system do you use at night?
For my little man I use the use the bumGenius One Size 3.0 pocket diapers and occasionally some Fuzzi Bunz Seconds in Mediums. Surprisingly my little guy isn’t currently a heavy wetter at night. I typically use either the two micro-terry inserts that come with each bumGenius One Size 3.0 diaper, or a prefold with a bumGenius micro-terry doubler.

Since both of my daughters are night-time wetters, I use Happy Heiny’s Pocket Trainers stuffed with a premium prefold on my oldest daughter, and a variety of one size pocket diapers for my youngest darling daughter (usually bumGenius, Happy Heiny’s, and Fuzzi Bunz).

There’s nothing worse than being woken up in the middle of the night to the cries of, “MAMA I LEAKED!” Or having woken-up to find that I AM WET because the leak from the disposable pull-ups/diapers spread through the bed and over to me! Thanks to cloth diapers and training pants our bed sheets (and children’s pajamas) are dry in the mornings!

Ps. My husband came home earlier than I had expected and happened to catch me taking pictures of the ‘THE stash.’

“We really have ALL of these diapers!” Accompanied by the priceless look on his face, I knew I had a lot of explaining to do! HAHA!

Show and Tell - Stash Post

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Why Serena LOVES cloth?

Feeling the LOVE!

Many people consider cloth diapering old-fashioned, out-dated, or just plain icky. My own mother, who cloth diapered my oldest brother, tried convincing me I would hate cloth diapering. “It will make your whole house smell.” My mom knows me well; she knows exactly how much I detest messes and smells. She figured this tactic alone would discourage me from cloth diapering. However, unwavering in my desire and decision to cloth diaper I assured her I was comfortable with my decision. She remained cynical, simply saying, “Okay, we’ll just wait and see.”

Initially, I started cloth diapering with bumGenius One Size Pocket diapers. I also purchased some used prefolds and covers because I wanted to be able to save my pocket diapers from all the excess wear and tear in the early weeks when my little guy would be a mean little poo’ing machine!

Although for the first several weeks I was predominantly using prefolds and Thirsties covers, I most recently starting showing my pocket diapers some much needed love and attention. I love the rainbow of colors and various prints to choose from. If my son is wearing a multiple-blue stripped shirt or romper I can put him in a Blue Blueberry One Size diaper one moment and a Twilight bumGenius One Size Pocket diaper the next. Hot outside? Then he’ll be sporting a white t-shirt with a Cow print Happy Heiny’s One Size diaper and a Monkey print diaper the next. (I’m also looking forward to the new Turtle print Bumwear One Size diapers I ordered after seeing how cute they were on Katrina’s son in last weeks post!)

Having used disposable diapers I can say with certainty, changing a disposable diaper is absolutely no fun. It’s a long standing joke between men and women about who should change the dirty diaper… With cloth diapers, I honestly look forward to the next diaper change! Of course, I’m not doing a happy dance when my little guy poo’s – but I’m certainly not dreading the diaper change! It truly is a lot of fun to decide on which color, print, or even style of diaper I’m going to put on my little man’s bum. Whether I want to take a little more time and put on a prefold and cover or I need to change the diaper in a jiffy and I reach for a pocket diaper – I’ve got plenty of options to keep things interesting!

Additionally, I love having the freedom to change my son as frequently as I want without worrying about tossing money in the trash. I feel ashamed to admit this, but when I used disposables on my daughters I would oftentimes leave them just a little longer because I truly believed (and still do believe) disposables were a waste of money.

I wanted to cloth diaper because I knew deep-down it was more natural and healthier as well as economical. I never imagined I would love it as much as I do. My husband thinks I’m hilarious! With a hearty laugh he asks, “You write about poo?” However, considering he grew up in a country and time when cloth diapering was the only way to diaper, it’s hard for him to understand and appreciate the need for our rapidly growing cloth diapering community.

I genuinely LOVE cloth diapering and clearly, talking about it too! It’s healthy. It’s economical. It’s eco-responsible. Most importantly (to me) it’s a LOT OF FUN!

- By Serena

Why Serena LOVES cloth?

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BlueBerry Minky Trainers Winner!!!!!

The winner has been a commenter from the beginning and it is very nice to see her winning... She has three GORGEOUS kids (2 boys and a girl), and she recently had a very successful night with a new bedtime plan with her kids (go to her blog to read about it). On her comments here she mentioned that: "Potty training has been one of the most difficult parenting things for her", and as she still has two more kids to potty train we hope these trainers help her a bit!

Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your trainers shipped!

BlueBerry Minky Trainers Winner!!!!!

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Product Focus : BlueBerry Minky Trainers PLUS a GIVEAWAY!!

The following post is written by Margarita McClure, owner of Blueberry and Swaddlebees. We currently don't have the Blueberry Minky Trainers in stock but they are on order and expected to stocked in our Kelly's Closet store in about 2 weeks. Margarita really went into detail with me when I inquired about this trainer and told me it is extremely absorbent and most likely the most absorbent cloth trainer on the market. Have fun reading!

"While we created the One Size Minky diapers for picky cloth diapering moms, the Blueberry Minky Trainers was created for the picky toddler, who, as we all know are at that age when they are starting to exercise their little opinions already.

Designed with an outer layer of waterproof minky in a variety of fun colors and prints, it is equipped with an inner layer of soft cotton velour and 2 generous hidden layers of absorbent microfiber terry in the wet zone. The cotton velour inner lets the baby feel it when they have wet to help facilitate potty learning. The gentle waist and leg elastics will enable your little one to pull the trainer up and down by themselves, to help foster independence.

This trainer is meant to catch a major accident, or several little ones. We used it a lot for overnights, when our youngest son would just be too sleepy to get up and go potty. We also used it for our eldest son, who, at around 2.5 yrs regressed for a few weeks to not wanting to go potty first thing in the morning after being dry all night (he was already night trained by 14 months). Both boys loved the ritual of picking out their night diapers before going to bed. They definitely loved the Minky Trainers and picked out a different print each night.

Several customers have also sworn by these Minky trainers, claiming them as their “workhorse trainers”. It’s also a good alternative to when you’re ready to start the potty training process, but not quite ready for regular underwear yet and still need the absorbency of diapers."

---

Margarita wants you try them out.... That is why she is giving away TWO MINKY TRAINERS to one of our readers. All the entries from the Fluff Friday of this week will be entered on this giveaway, and the winner will be posted on Friday, together with the winner of the Fluff Fridays... You also will have the opportunity of an EXTRA comment if post a comment saying "Why you want to win this trainers?".

Thanks Margarita!

Product Focus : BlueBerry Minky Trainers PLUS a GIVEAWAY!!

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Popular Cereal Endorses Disposable Diapers

Have you ever taken diapering advice from a popular cereal company?

My children were sitting at the kitchen table yesterday morning eating their favorite popular "o's" cereal. My son loves to eat his cereal and reads the back of the box. He started to read the back:

"Your little one is learning and growing every day, and the morning is one of the best times for that growth to happen. That's why -ampers and --eerios are working together to bring you bright mornings.... -ampers Baby Dry helps lock wetness away for up to 9 hours. Plus, -ampers Wipes with baby powder scent help refresh your child."

The 2 companies have partnered "Together for Bright Mornings."

My son commented and said," Mommy, this isn't true. Riley can go thru an entire night without having to change." Can you tell you I just LOVE him extra for saying that? Even my 8 year old knows that with the right cloth diaper system you can go 10-12 hours at night without having to change.

Just wanted to post that there are some terrific cloth diaper options that will work just as well if not better at keeping your baby dry at nighttime. We use a pocket diaper (either a Fuzzi Bunz, bumGenius, or Blueberry) stuffed with a bumGenius one size insert and a Super-Do Hemp Insert and are able to go 12 hours at nighttime with our 6 month old.

Next time I go shopping though I will look at the back of the box and will make sure not to purchase a box of cereal with disposable diaper endorsements. Better yet, I might need to find a new "o's" cereal!

Popular Cereal Endorses Disposable Diapers

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Product Focus: Blueberry Diapers

Short description of Blueberry Diapers:

Best known for our Minky Diapers, Blueberry offers a line of high quality, fashion-forward diapers to give moms a viable alternative to today's modern cloth diapers. Established in May 2007, it has grown to be one of the most sought-after brands among those who use cloth diapers. Having diapers made with minky in bold colors and prints, along with a wide selection of unique PUL prints and colors,top quality craftsmanship, anatomically-correct fit and reliable performance helps differentiate Blueberry Diapers from other cloth diapers in the market today.

Why choose Blueberry?

1. Reliability. If all we had were good-looking diapers that leaked, we would have gone nowhere. Beyond the fashionable aspect of our line, there is also a science to making the diapers work. You have to have the best quality materials. The microfleece we use virtually has no problems with any kind of repelling issues. No special detergents needed other than what you can buy from your local grocery store (of course as long as no fabric softener is added). Whether you have hard water or soft water, it's not a problem. The inserts that come with our diapers are extremely absorbent. Where a lot of people have to buy extra hemp inserts or doublers to combine them with the microfiber terry inserts you typically get with pocket diapers, you don't have to do such a thing with ours since we've already combined the hemp and microfiber for you. The minky fabric we use are all laminated. We are the only one in our industry that I know of that uses laminated minky. It is a long and expensive process to do it, but the reason we laminate the fabric directly is to eliminate extra bulk, especially for our one size diapers, and to prevent any wicking issues that may occur when you have an outer layer that is not laminated. So there's your formula for making a diaper that works: a good waterproof outer layer, non-repelling inner layer, and and absorbent core = a very reliable diaper. Plus our diapers fit really really well.

2. Variety & Options. We make both snaps and hook & loop diapers in almost 40 different solid colors and prints (both minky & PUL). It would be so easy for us to just make 1 type of diaper in a handful of colors and only use white snaps. But where's the fun in doing that? People want colors and prints and dots and animal prints and multi-colored-snaps! We cater to the "advanced" cloth diapering mom. We want to add excitement to changing diapers. Only cloth diapering moms look forward to changing diapers when they have something cute in their stash to use next. I don't know many people that get excited about changing another white diaper, much less a disposable.

3. No human was harmed in the production of our diapers. The laminate used for our waterproof fabrics is a non-solvent based type. Other than the fact that it is more environmentally sound, it is also safer for people to work around it because there are no fumes. Even a pregnant woman can safely work in the factory that laminates our fabrics. Same thing with our prints. You don't smell that oil-based ink smell in the factory where our prints are made since they are all water-based. But more importantly, the fact that the very fabric that touches the baby is made in the US also helps assure us that they are made with higher standards of quality.

A brief intro about Blueberry & Me

Making diapers was something I accidentally stumbled into. All my life I thought I was going to be in food service. I had my first food business in high school at age 16. After a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Administration, I went to go to culinary school in San Francisco to earn my "chef" degree. After working in the field and owning 2 restaurants later, I realized I did not want to cook for a living. Why? Because of all the dishes. I hate doing dishes. I don't like cleaning up after I cook. And it bored me to tears to have to cook the same thing over and over again. I make the best Shrimp Scampi in the world...and Tiramisu. But I don't want to have to do it 50..80..120 times a day. Yes there are cooks and staff that can do it for us, but when someone doesn't come in for their shift, me and my husband ends up doing the work. I loved the people we met and the customers we had, but the thought of managing a staff of people that aren't as passionate about the business as I am just gives me knots in my stomach.

I started making diapers shortly after my first son was born. We established Swaddlebees in April 2005, we still had a restaurant back then. But within just 2 years, Swaddlebees sales had already surpassed that of our restaurant with just 2 employees compared to the restuarant's 25. That's when we decided to shut down the restaurant and make diapers full time.

The concept of Blueberry Diapers came about as a way to fill a niche market in the world of cloth diapers. It's all about having fun. It began as a personal project in late 2006 as simply a way to test different designs and fabrics just to see how people would respond to it. I never planned on wholesaling it. Production began in Feb. 2007 and the website was launched in May that year. I already knew there was a huge market for cloth diapers with our experience with Swaddlebees. And I also know that among the moms who are already using cloth diapers, there is that certain percentage that is always looking for something more, regardless of the cost and whether or not they even needed more diapers. Using the best materials possible, and being able to find a high quality US manufacturer meant we will be pushing way beyond the "normal" price limits of cloth diapers. But then again, I didn't intend for it to be "normal". Blueberry Diapers are supposed to be different...fun, fashionable & funky....something you don't see everyday. It's something you will want to pull your baby's pants down to show people what they have underneath....or something you may even not want to cover up.

I've never been the type to try to convince people to use cloth diapers, much less try to push our products on parents. I blush when I have to do that because I feel like a used car salesman. The way I see it, people either get it or they don't. There's no judgment. But if they do get cloth and are looking for something more than what you see everywhere else and what everybody else has, that's where Blueberry Diapers come in. :)

-Written by Margarita McClure-Inventor of Blueberry and Swaddlebees Diapers

Product Focus: Blueberry Diapers

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