Monthly Archives: Jun 2010

Change is good. Change is good.

Jun 22,2010 / By Maria / 6 Comments

>At least, that’s what I am trying to tell myself. You may have received this email from cottonbabies.

Cotton Babies

June 22, 2010
The last couple of years has been a wild ride for Cotton Babies and the brands we created. We started out on our product venture with a tiny shipment of diapers that sold out within hours on December 21st, 2005. Since that date, the production lines haven’t stopped and our most popular brand, bumGenius, has gone on to be sold all over the world, winning awards and accolades from media nearly everywhere it goes.

In keeping with our long standing tradition of excellence, we have been working on something new for quite some time. I’m not very good at keeping secrets, so news has gotten out here and there about what might be new. Speculation from you and your friends has been quite literally all over the map about what the new product might be. Up until today, we weren’t 100% sure of when we could tell you, but finally, we have a date. I am excited to announce that a new bumGenius product will be born on June 29th!

We’re confident that you will be just as excited about this new product as we are. So, immediately following my announcement, we will open up to preorders. We begin actually shipping orders on July 14th.

Something fun and new is coming. But that usually means that we have to say goodbye to something else. So, it is with slightly heavy hearts that we have to announce that we have discontinued our highly acclaimed bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers. If you’re in the midst of building your stash, we still have a limited inventory available at the awesome Buy 5, Get 1 Free deal (while supplies & coupons last). Shop now or forever hold your peace! 🙂

We’ll email you soon with details of when and where the new product announcement will be made…. have a great Tuesday everyone!

Kindest Regards,

Jenn, Owner

Cotton Babies, Inc.

http://www.cottonbabies.com/

I got this email, just as I was working on a giveaway for a few of my favorite things, including Bumgenius 3.0’s. I am very worried, to be honest. It may sound crazy but OMG! Don’t tell me something is discontinued and then make me wait a week to find out about the new product!!

Here’s what I’m hoping for: a 4th snap setting for smaller babies, a snap closure option, more colors and prints, a hemp insert/microfiber that doesn’t end up reeking and better/more durable velcro closures/laundry tabs.

I’m taking some deep breaths, I didn’t know I would get this worked up over a diaper. I’m not going to include the BG in my “favorite things” giveaway, since I might have difficulty finding one in stock. However, definitely count on a review and giveaway for the new Bumgenius in July, as long as it looks good when I find out what exactly it is next week!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Winners

Jun 22,2010 / By Maria / 1 Comment

Getting to pick two winners this time was fun!! Each winner will receive the hand soap, dish soap and countertop spray from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day in their choice of scent!

I know this wasn’t quite as popular as diaper giveaways, I hope to have more of those for you soon! As always, please drop me a line if you think of something you’d like to see me review or give away, and I’ll see what I can do!

Comment #146 is janetfaye of Blog-Giveaways, Janet’s Book Place and Grammy Janet’s Place. Whew, three blogs, she must be busy!!

Comment # 206 is Louis. I love the profile pic of a kitty in a hat. Aww!

The winners have been notified! Thank you so much to Mrs. Meyer’s and to everyone who entered!

Uncategorized

Dads change diapers too!

Jun 20,2010 / By Maria / 2 Comments

Last week marked 9 years of marriage for my hubby and I. Sometimes I think he deserves a medal for just putting up with me, but he’s been supportive of all of my seemingly “crazy” ideas, including cloth diapering.

In fact, he even changes a few diapers. The Pocket diapers with Velcro are just as easy as disposables for him, and he even changes dirty diapers. That’s right folks! If any of your hubbies/partners/significant others/male counterparts are hesitant, you can ask mine. It was no harder to flip the poop in the potty and flush than to deal with (pee-yew!) a dirty diaper again on trash day.

I wanted to do something special for him on Father’s Day. We celebrated a little early since he will be on a plane for the actual day. I’m shocked and amazed that I managed to pull this off. Dana of Dana Grayson Photography took photos of the kids (we’ve never had professional photos done) and I managed to keep it a secret! I think the trick was not telling my daughter what we were doing or that it was a surprise. She usually spills the beans instantly, but smugly adds that it’s “a surprise.” Ha.

I had special, custom embroidered shirts made by Nikki’s Little House. She also made my son’s birthday shirt. Beautiful stuff at great prices.

We did some shots in formal outfits, but I wanted to get some photos in their special shirts. I was worried that the matchy-matchy shirts would look like something on Awkward Family Photos, but I think they look great!

It was nearing bedtime; I had just fished a rock out of my son’s mouth, and he was pretty mad at me for not letting him eat rocks.

That is another rock he is contemplating tasting.

Dana squeezed me in at the last minute, but still edited/touched up the photos and got digital copies to me in time for Father’s Day! If you live anywhere near the Maryland/D.C./Virginia/West Virginia/Pennsylvania area, I highly recommend Dana Grayson Photography. She does amazing Wedding/Engagement photography and I thought she did a fabulous job with my kids. Especially considering the real reason we’ve never had professional photos done is not so much because of the cost, but because of how uncooperative my daughter has been since birth!

My husband chose to go to the Chinese Buffet for lunch, and I gave him a special, manly “bouquet.”

Yum yum!

There are too many reasons to list why my kids are lucky to have my husband as their Dad! Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads, especially the cloth diaper-changing, baby wearing ones!

I wanted to do a special, Dad related giveaway for Father’s Day, but I wasn’t able to think of anything in time! If anyone has any great ideas for something to do in the future, let me know. In the meantime, check out the giveaways that are still going on:

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day (Last chance on this one, ends 6/21! Two winners.)

Bagshot Row Bamboo Diaper (ends 6/24)

Planet Wise Swim/Diaper Bag (ends 6/28)

Please remember you can email me any time at change.diaper.change.the.world at gmail dot com. I love to help if you have any questions, or if you have any comments or suggestions about my blog. I especially love suggestions for what you would like to see me review or give away! just remember to be gentle if you have constructive criticism for me, I’m still working on thickening my skin!

Please note: I received permission from Dana Grayson Photography to use the above, copyrighted photos on this blog.

Giveaway Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Winner of the Preston’s Pants Pocket Diaper

Jun 19,2010 / By Maria / No Comment

Congratulations to Allyson from A Heart for Home!

Eco-Friendly/Green Giveaway Made in the USA Reusable Products Review Wet Bags & Pail Liners

Planet Wise Diaper/Swim Wet/Dry Bag Review & Giveaway CLOSED

Jun 16,2010 / By Maria / 458 Comments

Is there a company that you love? One that makes great products, has great service and great company practices? Do you get excited when you find out they’re coming out with a new product? Do you tell everyone you know about them? For me, that’s Planet Wise Inc.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I love my small, medium and large wet bags, wet/dry bag and wipes pouch. Planet Wise are the only wet bags I’ve ever bought; I never felt the need to look for any others because they are so great.

In case you’re wondering, I bought all of my wet bags myself. I haven’t been paid to endorse Planet Wise. I’m having no luck coming up with a clever joke about how I’m cheap and can be easily bribed. Hmm…

In any case, I had the opportunity to review a brand new item from Planet Wise, the Swim/Diaper Bag. I also have one to give away, so that’s your carrot to see this through to the end (or just scroll down, but I know you would never do that, would you?) By the way, who would seriously be enticed by a carrot? How about a cupcake or something at least. Jeez. If you’re gonna bribe me, it’s going to have to be better than rabbit food.

I thought this would be a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on Planet Wise, but I accidentally brought my interrogation lamp instead of my spotlight. Hee hee.

Planet Wise is owned and operated by Nicki Maynard and her husband Jesse. Their products replace their disposable counterparts and can be used for so much more than just diapers. Their prints and colors are fantastic and are a departure from the usual “baby” prints. Wet bags are great for travel, to keep toiletries, shoes or dirty clothes separate. Wash and reuse instead of putting another plastic bag in the landfill! Their packaging is also printed on recycled/recyclable paper using soy based ink!

I wish I could work for Planet Wise; employees are allowed to work flexible schedules to work around family time and school schedules and employees are welcome to bring their young children to work with them! Alas, Planet Wise is based out of Wisconsin.

Planet Wise chooses as many USA-made materials as possible, and all products are manufactured in a locally women-owned facility.

So why do I like the wet bags so much? Not only do they look pretty with their beautiful prints and hidden seams, they have sealed seams that will not leak, and a locking, lead free zipper. The bags do not wick and hold in smells like nobody’s business. They’re both versatile and durable. They’re not going to wear out before your kids are out of diapers, but you won’t be passing them along either because you’ll be using them for a dozen other things. Mine have been washed nearly daily since I got them, and still look new.

So clearly, it’s no secret how much I love Planet Wise. I was like a kid on Christmas Eve when I found out the company was sending me one of their brand new swim/diaper bags to review.

I chose the spring green color which is pretty, but still neutral, and not too girly for my hubby to carry.

The swim/diaper bag has the same great features as their other wet/dry bags. It measures about 19″ x 15″ by 8″.

It has a large, waterproof, PVC-free inner section.

Plus a generously sized “dry” zippered section.

They say it can hold two large swim towels, plus clothes and accessories. I of course put that to the test. The bag looked like the perfect thing to use for a long or overnight trip.

13 diapers, plus my Planet Wise wipes pouch stuffed with wipes and a spray bottle of wipes solution.

Yep, it all fit!

No trouble zipping it, and the structure of the bag made it stand up nicely, it didn’t topple over.

So how about 4 large beach towels, my swimsuit, my hubby’s swimsuit, my daughter’s swimsuit and my son’s swim diaper?

It all fit, zipped with no problem, and I could have fit a few snacks/toys in as well!

For swim lessons I put in: a towel, a blanket for my son to sit on, water wings and toys and snacks. There was tons of room left!

This is a spankin’ new product, so your favorite retailer may not have them yet, but you can win one!

~~Planet Wise is sending one of my blog readers their own swim/diaper bag in their choice of color (subject to availability, substitutions may be made.)~~

Here’s how to enter: The first entry is mandatory, you may do as many or as few of the rest as you like. Leave a comment for each entry and be sure to leave your email address in at least one comment. If I can’t contact you, I will choose another winner.

~~1. Visit~~ ~~Planet Wise~~ ~~and tell me what your favorite print is. Since the swim/diaper bag is a new product, the prints aren’t yet listed on it’s page, but it should be available in all the usual colors and prints.~~

~~2. Follow my blog.~~

3. ~~“Like” me on Facebook~~.

4. ~~Follow me on Twitter.~~

5. Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. One tweet per day please. You may use this tweet if you like: @chgdiapers has a Planet Wise swim or #clothdiapers bag #giveaway for #summer #swimming! http://bit.ly/datbg3

~~6. Blog about Planet Wise, the new swim/diaper bag, this giveaway or this blog. Please be sure to link back to this post and leave me a link to your blog post.~~

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only. I will accept entries until Monday, June 28th, 2010 at 9 P.M., Eastern. I will select a winner using random.org’s true random number generator, and contact the winner by email. S/he will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and another winner chosen.

Planet Wise provided the review product to me at no cost, and is providing the winner’s item as well. I was not given any monetary compensation. I wasn’t requested or required to write a positive review, Planet Wise is a great company that I personally support.

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