All of us are lucky. We are raising our children in a time where we have choices. Upmteen million bazillion choices. We can find wonderful products that not only make child rearing easier, but that are for the most part, good for baby and planet.
Of course one of these products is the modern cloth diaper. I had tons of choices while pregnant. I looked at them all and made decisions that were compatible with my family and lifestyle. I chose bumGenius, Thirsties, chinese prefolds, Blueberry, G Diapers, and some WAHM diapers. These were brands I researched and that already had a loyal following.
Now my son is 1.5 years old and I have seen the cloth diaper industry grow immensely in that time. In fact, I have seen new brands hit the scene, some of which have EXPLODED! The innovations within the last 2 years are astounding. I don’t even know if it is possible to keep up the pace that was set.
Once upon a time there was a little brand that popped up on Twitter. This brand started chatting on the Monday night chats and caught my eye because it looked like an awesome and unique diaper. The genius of it was that instead of a pocket, there was a sleeve. This allowed the insert to agitate out. Genius! The diaper hadn’t been released yet. That diaper was Smartipants. Now Smartipants is a popular diaper brand with lots of fans and has even been seen on TV.
I fondly remember tweeting with Kim from Rockin’ Green when she was Kim from GADbaby.com who had a yet to be released new cloth diaper detergent. Now, Rockin’ Green is sold in over 200 stores and can be found in 5 countries!!! I even remember when Kim was announcing that she picked up her first retailer! Rockin’ Green has quickly become a phenomenon with cloth diaper parents. The Facebook page is hoppin’ with people posting photos and videos, and there is even a fan video! It is like the Cult of Rockin’ Green. A large part of her success (besides the great product) is the genius of her logos/ website/ and marketing. The fact that “Rockin’ a Soak” became a cloth diaper term overnight is a testament to the genius behind the brand. (And FYI, you should really join their Facebook page because I hear she is planning some cool things for her anniversary.)
And then there are the many online and brick and mortar stores that have opened or expanded. It seems like yesterday Growin’ Green Bums was set to open their online store. Now Marissa has lots of local and online clients. In fact, she is going to open up her own retail store in Northwest Florida. She has turned her passion into a growing business.
Last but not least is Jillian’s Drawers. This online and brick and mortar store was already well known. But they moved from what can only be described as a closet, to a gigantic store in the heart of downtown Ithaca. I feel so lucky to live so (relatively) close to this amazing store that is doing so much for their local community. Brick and Mortar stores are such resources for their communities. If there were more, I can only imagine there would be more cloth diapering parents. The ability to touch and feel a cloth diaper is more powerful than videos or text could ever be.
I am so proud of these companies and women who are making their own dreams come true, and providing solutions for our everyday lives. I have such admiration for people who have an idea for a product or business and get it done. By the time my children are out of diapers cloth diapers are going to be even bigger and better!