My Top Nine Posts of 2009!
As 2009 comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to look back at my favorite posts of 2009. I began this blog in April, so I don’t have an entire year’s worth of posts to sort through. I have enjoyed my time writing Dirty Diaper Laundry and can’t wait to see what 2010 brings! Thank you all for being apart of my life. I hope 2010 brings you all good fortune and happiness!
Take a look back with me!
June 2009- “Breastfeeding in Public- Talents- I haz it”
August 2009- “An Exercise in Imagination: Butts and Revenge”
August 2009- “How to Nurse in Public”
September 2009- “The Endangered Cloth Diapering Mama”
October 2009- “Disgrace at the Supermarket” (You could say this was my most controversial post.)
October 2009- “What Could Have Been… Babywearing Patent Fun”
November 2009- “A Very Mario 1st Birthday Party”
November 2009- “Speaking of Disposables…”
November 2009- “Happy First Birthday, Fletcher!”
I will be taking tomorrow off to relax with my family and sleep off my champagne. Happy New Year!!!!!
Thirsties: Company Profile and Q&A with Erin Kimmet
After compiling a list of the many, many great cloth diaper companies who manufactured their products in the US and Canada, I learned so much about what a wonderful group of women (and men) run this industry. One such company, Thirsties, really stood out to me. Thirsties was started by Erin Kimmet with 100 dollars. The mom of two has carefully considered the impact of manufacturing her product. Every detail is considered when a product is made; the materials used, the carbon footprint, and the comfort for our babies.
Thirsties was extremely generous to Fluffy Christmas. Thanks to their donations, 2 families (and then some) received a starter box of diapers!
Recently, Thirsties accomplished a feat that no other company has yet been able to achieve. Due to the legal restrictions all hemp products must be imported into the US. The hemp used for diapers is all knit elsewhere. Thirsties rallied hard to find a way to get their hemp knit here in the US. They can control the quality of the product and it is providing jobs for knitters here in the US. This was a huge hurtle, so congratulations to Thirsties for working hard to make tht a reality!
You can try this hemp for yourself in the new (and fab) Duo Diaper. I am in the process of reviewing this diaper, so you will get a video review of it in the near future!
Thirsties employs mothers who work from their own home, making diapers, and also employees at their warehouse in downtown Canon City, Colorado. I asked one such employee, Sonya, about her life as a Thirsties employee.
I am the Thirsties Customer Service and Warehouse Manager, as well as the Public Relations Representative. We are all in charge of different duties here, but also team up when we need to to get things done! My work day starts at 8:00 AM, and I am finished usually at 2 PM. When I come in in the morning, I open up shop, and the first thing to get done is to bring up Pandora on the computer to Deuter radio! – Lovely!!
I answer the telephone and emails, oversee the warehouse, and take incoming shipments. I input orders, change orders, take inventory, and take care of the retail customers. I am also the Return Department, and I process the returns that come in, and take care of any repairs. I clean up when needed, water the plants, and keep things orderly. I also send out the PR and return shipments. We all team up and send out the Amazon orders for the week. We have Katie who takes over for me in the afternoons, Sarah who ships the Wholesale orders, and our newest employee Monica, who helps with the bookkeeping. We are a small company, and luckily we can set our own work hours to suit our schedules. Erin is very accomodating about that! She understands about being a mom, as she is one, and it is not a problem if I need to stay at home with a sick child! We are very lucky to have Erin as our fearless leader! We all have a good time together!
I was also fortunate enough to get a few questions answered by Erin Kimmett. I hope you all enjoy reading her responses as much as I did.
Me: Why is it so important for you to keep your production in the US?
Erin: 4 reasons!
1. In considering the state of the economy, it is more important than ever to support domestic industry! We are never going to get ourselves out of this ecomomic slump by purchasing goods made overseas. We need to invest in our North American farmers, raw goods processors, knitters and weavers, finishers, cutters, and sewers! Many manufacturers will finish their goods here in the USA and will label their products MADE IN USA when in fact, only the very last step of the process was produced domestically. But we believe this is misleading for the conscientious consumer. Our goal is to use all domestically manufactured fabric and components as well as hosting the final cut and sew on our land.
2. Producing goods locally reduces our transportation needs and carbon output!
3. I like the fact that I can visit our ‘factory’ any day of the week, at anytime, and I will not ever find a child laborer or anyone else for that matter who doesn’t want to be there.
4. And finally, local production also equates to good QUALITY CONTROL!
Me: Another company would have imported the hemp fabric as is, why did you fight
so hard to have the hemp knitted in the US?
Erin: See above =) In addition, the end product produced by the USA-based knitter is far superior!
Me: Describe a typical working day for a Thirsties employee.
Erin: I think Sonya covered this one =)
Our sewers are contract workers…so they are not actual employees. But they work a very flexible schedule, as well. Many work from the convenience and comforts of their own homes. Those that work on site come and go as needed, although they all work hard when working, they are all very much appreciated, and they all LOVE what they do.
Me: When you started your company in 2004, did you ever imagine that cloth
diapers would be where they are now? And, how much have Thirsties changed
since your first run?
Erin: Wow…good question! Cloth diapers have certainly been revolutionized over the past 5 years! And the innovations and growth in the industry as a whole indicates (1) that we are all doing our job well and (2) families are craving a healthier, more affordable, and greener alternative to disposables! We still have some hurdles to jump — still ALOT of mis-information and stereotypes out there in regards to reusable diapers — but we are certainly making some great progress in bringing cloth mainstream!
Me: And, how much have Thirsties changed since your first run?
Erin: Ha! Our first run of Thirsties Diaper Covers was miniscule. We had high hopes for something we felt was a ‘hole’ in the market. We produced 1000 covers in 5 colors and it took months to sell that stock. Luckily, other cloth diapering families were intrigued, tried the covers, loved them and by the end of that first year we were producing 1000 covers a month, which was HUGE success in my book at that time. The design our our covers has been tweaked here and there — today’s covers and wraps are far superior to that first run, but over the years, Thirsties Covers have proven the most reliable and the household favorite for most families.
Me: Where do you see Thirsties and cloth diapering in 20 years?
Erin: I believe with all my heart that cloth diapering is going to catch on more and more — it just has to. Once a new mom makes that leap and gives cloth a shot, there is no turning back. Reusable diapers are just too far superior for a number of reasons when comparing to cloth. Nobody can deny the cute factor alone! Then when you add in the cost savings, the health benefits, and the environmental pulls, using cloth becomes a no-brainer.
I hope that when my kids have kids of their own, and when my grandkids have kids, they will refer to the past 30 years in history as the diaper-dark-ages! And they can brag about how their mom was a part of the diaper revolution! =)
Wordless Wednesday: My Growing Boy
Banana Face!
Shopping for goodies around the house.
Testing a Cheeky Diaper Cover!
*sniff sniff* He is looking so grown up!
Bravado Giveaway Winner is….
Jessica! (jdruit on Twitter)
Random.org happened to pull my favorite number, 33!
The good news is, if you didn’t win, keep checking back. I am working with Bravado for more reviews and giveaways soon! The ALLURE is next!
Cloth Diaper Carnival V- Husbands and Cloth Diapers
This post is part of the Cloth Diapering Bloggers and Dirty Diaper Laundry monthly Cloth Diaper Carnival. We skipped last month but things are back on track. This month’s carnival is themed around Husbands and cloth diapering. Participants really had an open ended theme, so the entries could be humorous stories, tragedies, or tales of fully supportive men! I can’t wait to read them all. To visit the other entries, visit the others linked beneath my post.
I have already written before about my husband and how he tossed a Sustainable Babyish wool soaker in the diaper pail, which was then washed in HOT and dried in the dryer!!! It survived, but was slightly felted. You can read about that here.
I haven’t shared with you a story from the early days. This was before I started this blog, and when our son was just a few months old. Back then I was nursing virtually around the clock. Every weekend I would “sleep in.” My husband would wake up with our son, change his diaper, and entertain him for 1-2 hours before he would be ready to come back to bed with me to nurse and nap.
The morning in question I gave my husband verbal instructions. We were using prefolds and covers during the day, but disposables at night.
I said to my husband, while groggy, “Use the red cover!” since it was still clean. I had it laid out to dry from the night before.
Hours later, after the baby had come to bed with me, nursed, napped, and had woken up, I went to change his diaper. I found a baby wearing a disposable diaper and a red, XS Thirsties cover.
Confused I went to my husband and asked “Why!?!?”
“You told me to put the red cover on him”
“Yes, it was meant to go over a CLEAN diaper.”
“All you said was, ‘Use the red cover’ how was I supposed to know? Plus, I was still half asleep!”
So, my son was in a disposable diaper all night, and a couple of hours the next morning. Except of course, he had a red Thirsties cover over it.
Husbands…….
Please read the other bloggers’ entries for the Cloth Diaper Carnival.
Bummis Organic Cotton Diaper Kit Giveaway*closed*
Not only did Bummis donate a Baby Kit to Fluffy Christmas, they have generously offered to sponsor a giveaway a Infant or Baby Organic Cotton Prefold kit to a VERY lucky DDL reader!!!
To see my review of the entire kit, go to this page.
What is included in the kits? Taken from Bummis’ website:
The Infant size contains:
• 24 infant size Organic Cotton Prefold diapers (4 x 8 x 4 layers thick)
• 4 Super Whisper Wraps – small
• 2 Super Brites – small
• 3 rolls Bio-Soft liners – small
• 5 reusable Fleece Liners
• Fabulous Wet Bag – large (available exclusively in the Kit!)
The Baby size contains:
To enter:
As a mandatory Entry, go to Bummis’ website. They make tons of other products as well. Let me know something else you would like to try that isn’t included in the kit.
For extra entries do one or all of the following, make sure to leave a separate comment for each one you do.
Follow my twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “@KimRosas and @Bummis are giving away an Organic Cotton Prefold kit to diaper your baby! http://ckbxh.th8.us #clothdiapers” Leave a comment with a link to your status.
You may tweet once a day until the contest ends. Leave a comment with your status link for each tweet.
Follow Bummis on Twitter. Leave a comment.
Become a fan of Bummis on Facebook. Their page is super active so you don’t want to miss the opportunities there. Recently they sent a call for product testers! How exciting!
Follow Bummis’ Blog publicly via Google Friend Connect. Leave a comment.
Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.
Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.
Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.
Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.
Giveaway ends on January 11. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.
***Open to US and Canadian Residents!***
I was not compensated to post this giveaway, but the samples sent for review were free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own.
Bummis Organic Cotton Prefold Kit Review
Bummis cloth diapers have been around for a long time. I bought many used ones when I was pregnant, but this was when I was ignorant about cloth diapers. I didn’t realize that they were more than used, they were abused. While I could have been ok using them, I bought some other covers instead and gave those away. I only used them a few times and didn’t have any problems with them, the laundry tabs were just shot.
I was excited to get another opportunity to try Bummis, and this time I was going to get the chance to review the entire iParenting Award winning Organic Cotton Prefold Kit in the Baby (medium, 15-30 lbs) size. I looked at the regular kit while I was pregnant, and tried talking my husband into it. Instead I bought all used diapers and less than quality prefolds. I know now the mistake I made. Cheap doesn’t always equal better, and I wasn’t happy using prefolds. I switched to pockets and didn’t attempt prefolds again for a long time.
Bummis is also an all around great company. They manufacture most of their items in Canada and they are a caring company. When I contacted them about donating a diaper to Fluffy Christmas the response was not, “Ok,” but, “We will donate a Baby size Organic Cotton Prefold kit.” That kit went to a very deserving family, along with a couple extras. I can’t wait to get pictures of the baby in a Super Brite!
About Bummis:
Our mission is to make it easy for you to use cloth diapers simply because we think that all babies would love to be wearing them! They are so soft and comfy ….
Cloth diapers are also affordable, easy to use, and super easy to wash.
We manufacture and distribute hard working, functional and great looking products.
Ease of Use ✰✰✰ The Bummis covers and prefolds can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make them. Because they have a handy panel up front, as shown in the video, you can trifold a prefold and place it in the cover. I would personally use a snappi (or pins for the brave) on babies who have loose stools. If you simply trifold the prefold you might very well have poop leak into the cover, and you will either have to wipe the poop from the cover or use a new one. The kit has 4 covers in the Baby size kit, enough to do 1.5-2 days between washing, and the Infant has 6 covers, which would last about 2 full days between washing. The infant kit comes with 24 prefolds, also enough for 2 days, and the Baby has 18, good for 2 days as well! Because the covers are velcro, once you have the prefold inside or on the baby, that step is easy peasy. To change, and put in your wet bag for washing, attach velcro laundry tabs.
Bang for the Buck ✰✰✰✰✰ For around 160 dollars you have enough diapers at your disposal to last you until they change sizes. If you use both kits, in infant and baby size, you will spend roughly 336 dollars. Many babies never need a size large diaper, and the Medium Bummis fit until 30 pounds. I would personally buy travel wet bags, and an extra large wet bag for when you are washing the super fab Bummis wet bag that comes with the kit.
Performance ✰✰✰✰✰ Sometimes the simplest diapering solutions are the best. With the kit you get everything you need. The fleece liners are made from recycled polyester, and the flushable liners really come in handy if you lack a diaper sprayer or when you are out of the house. The prefolds are really absorbent and soft. I even used them for overnight and there were no leaks. My son is sleeping about 12 hours a night now. The covers are nice and thick enough, and I feel that they are substantial. You can’t complain about the nifty, gender neutral patterns the covers come in either.
Fit ✰✰✰✰ The Medium covers and prefolds in the kit fit my son well, with a little room to spare in the cover. Not enough to have a leak, the legs and back were tight enough, but there was enough looseness for more growing. The prefold, when trifolded, fit perfectly inside the cover. Using a snappi, they fit well with the angel fold, which is what I prefer. They aren’t “trim” when compared to an AIO, and you get a booty shelf in the back if you place the prefold in the cover instead of using a snappi.
Overall- There is a reason that expecting moms register for this kit. It has virtually everything you need to cloth diaper, and they don’t skimp on the quality or quantity. Instead of giving you plain covers, you get some of the cutest patterns Bummis make. And, the wet bag can’t even be purchased alone. I used the bag while I was out of town for 2.5 weeks. I never wanted to be without it, so I washed quickly and used a travel wetbag in the meantime. I think I went 4 days without washing once, and I still had more room, but not enough diapers to continue. Plus, I wouldn’t want to. Even after 4 days the smell didn’t seep through, though once I opened the zipper the stink could have knocked you over. Prefolds are diapers that are versatile in fit and use, and they last forever. Since you can hang the covers dry, I don’t see a reason this kit shouldn’t last you through 2, or more, children if you never put those covers in a dryer. To keep your prefold soft, try Ecover fabric softener, the only diaper safe softener! This kit is all kinds of fab!
If you want to enter to win one, go to the giveaway!
I was not compensated to post this review, but the items sent for review were free of charge.
Cloth Diapers Made in the US and Canada
One of my favorite things about Cloth Diapers is that they are part of a close knit, cottage industry. So many cloth diaper companies started off as mom run businesses. The diapers were sewn with love, by hand, and sold directly to the consumer. In fact, there are hundreds of diaper brands who still do this today. Hyenacart, etsy, and Artfire have many cloth diaper makers. I’d say virtually all of the diapers sold on those sites are made in the US or Canada.
I have compiled a list of as many cloth diaper companies as I could who manufacture their diapers in the US or Canada. This does not mean that the materials were grown in North America. Plenty of these companies do use North American grown and/or milled materials. I have noted this on some. Just because there is nothing next to the name, this doesn’t mean the materials aren’t North American, only that I don’t know or haven’t researched it yet.
I would love to have every company listed that manufactures in the US or Canada. I am adding this list as a page to my site. I will continue to update it as new companies are listed. I cannot list every independent cloth diaper maker. I will consider adding an Etsy/ Hyenacart/ Artfire maker on a case by case basis.
If you know a company that needs to be added, or if you notice any mistakes, leave a comment here or email me at dirtydiaperlaundry at gmail dot com.
Companies marked with an asterisks donated diapers to Fluffy Christmas. My original plan was asking companies to donate one diaper who I emailed about being included in this list. The majority of the diapers sent to families are US or Canadian made with a few exceptions.
There are some outstanding companies on this list. I am going to be highlighting a few of them in the near future, and how and why they decided to keep their diapers made in the US or Canada.
Manufactured in the US
Baby Kicks*- 90% are made inthe US except the Bumboo and Organic Fitted. My review.
Bagshot Row Bamboo*
Bamboo Bums My review
Bella Bottoms* – All except hemp milled in US. All manufactured in US.
Blueberry/Swaddlebees- All but prefolds, microfiber, and hemp made in US. My review.
Clover
Crickett
Drybees My Review
Essential Saltes Baby -handmade within miles of my house by a WAHM. My review.
Firefly Diapers
Fuzbaby
Gen-Y*
Growing Greens- 100% US Materials
Happy Heineys* My review.
Kissaluvs* My review.
Knickernappies
Little Beetles*
Lollidoo
LoveyBums*
Mommy’s Touch
Monkey Snuggles – My review.
Muttaquin
Piddle Poddles
Play All Day. Fitted review. Wool cover review.
Rocky Mountain Diapers
Smartipants My review.
Snap-EZ
Softbums My review.
Sposo-Easy- PUL and Cotton are from the US.
Sustainable Babyish* My reviews of their products. Wool Interlock soaker and Snapless Multi fitted.
Tiny Tush Elite*
Thirsties*
Wahmies- My review.
Manufactured in Canada
AMP*
Applecheeks*
Baby Kangas*
BerryPlush
BubuBebe
Bummis*
Eezi-fold
Elbees 95% materials are US/Canadian made.
GMD Infant Fitted
Jamtots
Monkey Doodlez My reviews of their products.
Mother-Ease*
Muggabug- My review.
Snug to Fit
Sugar Peas
Merry Fluffy Xmas!
Since it is the time for relaxing and spending quality time with family, I am going to keep this brief!
Happy Holidays to all of you and your families. I hope Santa brought you lots of great gifts, and maybe even some cloth diapers! I know for a fact that most (if not all) of the families chosen for Fluffy Christmas have received their diapers!
My new Mic
Santa brought me a brand new microphone to aid me in my cloth diaper video reviews! I guarantee you will notice the difference. I compared to recording side by side and it was incredible. I won’t have to shout in the mic (and still have you saying you have to turn your speakers all the way up!) or position it close to my mouth and get hard “p”s.
I hope you all had a wonderful time with your families. I have had a blast playing with my son and husband and our new toys!
Hotslings MilkDaze Nursing Cami Review and Giveaway
Hotslings, a company known for their stylish and easy to use babywearing products, have recently launched MilkDaze, a stylish and practical nursing camisole.
Make sure to milk it in our nursing apparel! Designed with mom in mind, our collection aims to make nursing anywhere fashion-forward and as easy as possible. We’ve eliminated the need for clips, snaps or hooks and incorporated pull-aside layers that allow for quick nursing without the fuss. All of the pieces in this growing collection are cut to hit lower on the waist, ensuring full coverage and keeping that postpartum figure in check. Sized on a generic sizing scale, moms will wear the same size in MilkDaze as they would in other mainstream brands.
The MilkDaze nursing camisole is a pull over style, meaning you pull one panel over to reveal the opening, still leaving the base panel that supports your breast and keeps you partially covered. This style has always been hit or miss for me. I like the convenience of it, but I always get one that doesn’t have enough room in the opening, or the panel slides over slowly and gets in the way.
I was happy to find that none of those issues occurred with the MilkDaze Cami. It is simple enough to pull the panel and latch my son on. Then, I push the other panel around his mouth to make sure I am completely covered. Out of all of the nursing tops I have owned, this is the most discreet. Since receiving it to review I have made a point to wear it for every flight I take, and if I know I will be out in a large crowd, I wear it as well.
The best thing about the MilkDaze is the support it gives! Most nursing tank tops I have tried give the dreaded “uniboob,” with the exception of a few notable brands. But those still don’t lift my breasts as much as the MilkDaze. I have, if I say so myself, amazing cleavage in this cami. It gives almost as much support as a regular nursing bra. I love the sweetheart cut too! It is so flattering to my bustline.
The MilkDaze comes in two colors: black and white. I would love to see it come in more neutral tones since I like to wear oranges and browns and deep greens. But, I also wear a ton of black. You could get by having either color, or both, and be able to wear it under most tops. The cami has a generous length to keep your tummy covered too. It gives a nice layering look under other tops.
If you are wondering why Hotslings would make nursing attire, think of how easy it would be to wear your baby in a Hotslings Pouch or Hotslings AP and nurse them while wearing your MilkDaze! Since my son is now at a great age for the hip carry, that is how we babywear and nurse when we need to, and it works fabulously.
Wouldn’t you LOVE to add a MilkDaze to your wardrobe?
Hotslings is giving one lucky DDL reader their own MilkDaze Cami.
For your mandatory entry, tell me where you would use your MilkDaze. Since I have used mine on my travels, I want to know where you would use it! ***no one word answers please, but don’t write a book either, mmk!
For Extra Entries do any or all of the following, remember to leave a separate comment for each entry.
Follow my twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “I want to win a MilkDaze Cami from @hotslings and @KimRosas. http://3dq44.th8.us #bfing” Leave a comment with a link to your status.
You can tweet every day, once a day, for the duration of the contest.
Follow @HotSlings on twitter. Leave a comment.
Become a fan of Hotslings on Facebook. Leave a comment.
Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.
Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.
Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.
Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.
The MilkDaze is Buy One Get One Half off until January 5th! Use code MDHalf at check out. Stock up!
Giveaway ends on January 6. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.
***Open to US and Canadian Residents!***
I was not paid to perform this review or host the giveaway. I did receive a sample to review, free of charge, which was kept. All opinions expressed are my own.
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