Sweet Pea Organics Sampler Pack Review and Giveaway! CLOSED

Sweet Pea Organics is a mom-owned company that makes homemade, organic, toddler protein bars, teething biscuits, baby foods and other snacks.  (*read through to get to the Sweet Pea Organics Giveaway)

Sweet Pea Organics is based on the idea that a life well lived is one that is simple, balanced and pure. These simple baby & toddler recipes were designed to bring you the basic building blocks of life in a convenient and fun way. Of course they are made with the finest organic ingredients, but know that the most important ingredient in any recipe is the love with which it is prepared. Sweet Pea Organics, made from the freshest and nutrient-rich foods available, with an extra heap of love on top for good measure!    -Grace, Sweet Pea & Jujube

Sweet Pea Organics products are perfect for little ones who's parents prefer a healthier and more natural  alternative to store bought baby and toddler foods.

Heather's Review of Sweet Pea Organics:
I had the opportunity this week to try a new product for toddlers and kids: Sweet Pea Organics.  Since I have a 9 month old and a 5 year old, our family was a perfect tester, especially since my 5 year old can tell me exactly what she thinks!

When our package arrived in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised by the complete package...our samples arrived with a tshirt and a reuseable insulated lunch bag.  Each of the samples was packaged in a ziplock baggie and an ingredient list stating that everything that goes into these snacks is organic.  Very healthy and made from fresh ingredients.

Our sample pack

From the back of the tag:
Sweet Pea Organics is based on the idea that a life well lived is one that is simple, balanced, and pure.  These recipes are designed to bring you the basic building blocks of life in a convenient and fun way.  They are made with the finest organic ingredients but the most important ingredient in any recipe is the love with which it is prepared.  Sweet Pea Organics, made from the freshest and nutrient-rich foods available, with an extra heap of love on top for good measure!  ~Grace GlennAnthony, Chef/Owner

The snacks certainly looked yummy.  We received three kinds: Toddler Protein Bars, Kid Protein Bars (2 packages), and Oat Teething Biscuits.

Our snacks, ready for tasting!

The Oat Teething Biscuits are oval-shaped and have the firmness of a dense peanut butter cookie.  They taste oat-y, but also very mildly sweet from apple sauce.  They also contain Oat Milk, Agave Nectar, Sunflower Oil, and Sea Salt.  My 5 year old pronounced them "Yummy".  Our 9 month old liked them too, but I think they were a little much for him still.  He ate half of one and had trouble swallowing each bite, so we'll save the rest of our samples for another month and try them again. 

Our 9 month old, sampling an Oat Teething Biscuit

The Kid Protein Bars are little red balls.  These we tried next.  They contain Quinoa, Sesame, Sunflower Oil, Brown Rice Syrup, Almond Milk, Beet Powder, Walnuts, Oats, and Cranberries.  They are soft and easily eaten.  My 5 year old liked these quite a bit, too, and asked for another one after finishing the first.  I liked the chunks of cranberry inside.  There are no nutty chunks, but you can taste the walnuts clearly.  Overall, another successful taste test! 

The Toddler Protein Bars are red ovals.  They contain Quinoa, Sunflower Oil, Maple Syrup, Almond Milk, and Beet Powder.  They are the hardest of the three snacks, though they aren't quite crunchy.  They would hold up well as a diaper bag snack, I think.  My 5 year old didn't care for this one and I wasn't sure about it, either.  I do think our 9 month old would like them if he tried them. 

Sporting his new tshirt and a Knickernappies diaper

Overall, we thought these were great and would for sure buy the Kid Protein Bars.  I think they would make a great snack anytime.  I plan to stock up on some for summer hiking and camping trips, too. 

One last photo, just to show what our son really thought of his new Oat Teething Biscuits:

Bliss

*Now for the Giveaway*

One lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive:

• (1) Sample Pack of Sweet Pea Organics Products seen above! (t-shirt, product samples and lunch tote)

Giveaway runs Thurs March 31, 2011 through Weds April 06, 2011 at 11:59pm.  Winner will be announced Thurs  April 07, 2011 on the Blog and our FaceBook Page as well as contacted via email.

Guidelines For Entry-

• First entry requirement is to visit Sweet Pea Organics, check out their awesome prices, and come back here and comment on which product you'd like to try the most.
• Please comment once per entry so that you are entered the correct number of times in the giveaway.
• Make sure you either leave your email address, blog or website address in each comment or make sure you are logged in to your Blogger account so that we can be sure to have a way of reaching you should you win.
• Contest is open to participants Worldwide.
• Winner is chosen via random.org and winning announcements are posted on the Blog & FaceBook.
• Participants have 7 days from close of giveaway to respond and claim their prize.

How to earn extra entries-

• Earn (1) extra entry for becoming a FAN of Sweet Pea Organics on FaceBook!  (leave a comment on her Wall telling her Knickernappies sent you.)
• Earn (1) extra entry for becoming a FAN or already being a Fan of Knickernappies on Facebook!
• Earn (1) extra entry for Following the Knickernappies Blog.
• Earn (1) extra entry for Following our partner blog, I Love Cloth Diapers!
  
• Earn (1) extra entry when you Follow @Knickernappies on Twitter.
• Earn (3) extra entries each time you Tweet this "Enter to #win an Organic Toddler and Baby Snack Pack from @Knickernappies http://ow.ly/4qtP6  #clothdiapers " (Max. 1 tweet per day)
• Earn (1) extra entry when you place the Knickernappies Blog Buttonon your website or blog.
• Earn (3) extra entries when you Announce the Giveaway either on FaceBook or your Blog, you may use this link and the above graphic if you can.
• Earn (10) extra entries for making a purchase at Sweet Pea Organics during the week of the giveaway.  Comment here (10 times) and leave the invoice number from your order in one of the comments)
• Earn (3) extra entries when you submit your information to become one of our weekly Featured Fluff Addicts.  Visit this link for more information on how to submit your story. *You may only earn these extra entries if you submit your info and have not been our Featured Fluff Addict before.  Thanks!
• Earn (5) extra entries when you contribute an article to be posted on the KN Blog.  Please email marketing@knickernappies.com for more details or to submit your article.
  

Good Luck!

Have you RSVP'd for the Great Cloth Diaper Change yet? April 23rd is fast approaching!

This is just a follow up post.  We'd like to remind you all about the Great Cloth Diaper Change which will take place on April 23, 2011.

What is the Great Cloth Diaper Change?  It's the first of it's kind, an even that will get cloth diapers into the Guinness Book of World Records.

On April 23rd at 12:30 EST and the corresponding times in different time zones, we'll attempt the largest simultaneous diaper change!  Each location will have their own special activities planned as well as giveaways, door prizes, free samples and other cool stuff.  You don't want to miss this amazing event!

Knickernappies is super proud that many of our great retailers are hosting locations in their areas and guess what?  They'll have Knickernappies products to give away!  Woot!

Visit the location finder HERE to see if there's an event local to you.

For more information on the Great Cloth Diaper Change make sure you watch the cute Youtube Video below.

Knickernappies Mama Cloth featured on Hobo Mama Reviews & Natural Parents Network!

We were super excited to have been contacted by Lauren aka Hobo Mama.  She's the mama behind some very special sites, Hobo Mama, Hobo Mama Reviews and Natural Parents Network!

She did a fabulous review of our Knickernappies Stackable Mama Cloth for her "Green Your Period" event.  During this event she's featuring different green menstrual methods and we're super pleased to have been included.

What great things did Lauren have to say about our stackable pads?

I love the idea of the Stackable Mama Pads. They're a unique 3-in-1 system that will fit absorbency needs from pantiliner to regular pad to heavy flow. That way, you can adjust the absorbency throughout your menstrual cycle without having to buy several different pad sizes.

My favorite aspect of the stackable design is that you can reuse the shell throughout the dayjust swapping out the pad liners as you need them replaced. That means you need only a few shells for your whole cycle, and you can buy extra pads (liners) separately.

One smaller liner works well for light flow. One larger liner is comparable to a standard pad. Snapping on both liners at the same time provides coverage for heavy flow.

The shells and liners are consistently the same sizes so any future shells or liners you buy will fit any other set.

The outer shell is very thin, waterproof fleece. The larger pads are made from microfiber, hemp, and cotton/poly velour (76% combed cotton/24% polyester — the polyester is used on the backside as a stabilizer). The smaller pads are microfiber and velour. The soft velour sits against the skin, and the workhorse microfiber is highly absorbent.

The shell with the pad(s) snaps up into a little bundle so you can toss it in a bag or even your pocket (it would be a little bulky there, though!) and take it with you. I doubt anyone would know what it was (unless they actually did know what it was — in which case, they'd just be applauding you for being so dang cool and environmental). 

Hobo Mama Reviews is even giving away a set of our Knickernappies Stackable Mama Pads and this giveaway is co-sponsored by one of our fabulous retailers, Fluff Envy!  Make sure you head over there and enter today.  Giveaway ends 04-19-11

A Knickernappies Mama Cloth Overview from the WLC Blog!

Retailer Contributed Article from WeeLittleChanges

Mama cloth. I’ve talked about it in the past, including all the benefits. Today, I thought I’d talk about a specific brand of mama cloth that I really like- the Knickernappies cloth mama pad. These wonderful pads are stackable and come in both hemp and microfiber. Hate microfiber? Get the hemp! Prefer microfiber? Then get the microfiber!

I actually tried the microfiber and velour and have to say that it was super soft and oh so comfortable to wear. You almost can’t even tell that it’s there. Now my pads were black and orange, which at first glance, is a little odd, but all in all, I really like it. It was sort of fitting a few months ago at Halloween when I got them…not so much now…but they’re interchangeable so when I get more of these in the
future (and I definitely will!), the funky color combo won’t be noticeable. Lol.

The stackability of this system was something that intrigued me about it, but at the same time, I was hesitant. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea that you could use the same shell with different snap-in pads more than once. How on earth would that work? But I tried it and it does. The shell itself doesn’t get messy or yucky-just the pad. You truly CAN change just the snap-in pad. The shell itself serves only to hold the pad in place.

And while we’re talking about the stackability (a side note here, word doesn’t recognize this as an actual word, lol), I have to add that each pad comes with two sizes of stackable snap-in pads. The shorter one is great for light days or days when you’re just spotting a bit. The longer ones are perfect for regular days. And if you stack one on top of the other, then it’s perfect for nights and heavy days. That makes this pad awesome for any type of day! How many pads would you have to buy of another brand to equal the versatility of this brand? At least 3! I think that’s my favorite part of this pad. I never have to worry whether or not I’ll have enough coverage.

One more thing! These pads fold up beautifully and fairly small as well. I can keep them and store them
anywhere without worrying whether someone will realize what it is should it fall out of a purse or bag and I don’t have to worry that it won’t fit where I need to keep it (like our smallest diaper bag for regular days).

Now that you know all the things I love about this pad, there has to be something I don’t love, right? The
thing I don’t love is the learning curve. You have to be careful with this pad when you’re first starting to use it to be sure you don’t leak. If you’re having a heavier day and you don’t add the extra layer of absorbency, you’re risking a serious leak as these pads do not have a built in water proof layer like some other pads.

There you have it, my thoughts on Knickernappies mama cloth. Have you tried it yet? Do you like it?

Kristi Stokes has been the mom behind the Wee Little Changes blog for nearly a year now.  She is a stay-at-home mom to four awesome kids and started cloth diapering 3 years ago.  You can visit Wee Little Changes, a Knickernappies retailer, at http://www.weelittlechanges.com and enter to win a Knickernappies diaper each month at http://www.weelittlechanges.blogspot.com.

Can pocket diapers be used as swim diapers?

Have you heard or ever wondered if you can just use your pocket diaper shell as a swim diaper?
The answer...is yes!  Many families have used their pocket diaper shells as swim diapers with great success.

What's the catch?  The functionality depends a lot on the style of pocket diaper, closure method and fit.  Many use pocket diapers with no complaint while others do seem to hold water.  It's up to you if this is bothersome or makes baby uncomfortable.

While pocket diaper shells will contain any messes that may occur, depending on the location you're using the diapers; bathtub, beach, pool, outdoor waterplay area, etc.  You can expect different types of wear and tear to occur that would not normally.

• Using a pocket diaper or cover as a swim diaper at the beach or a sandy area can cause snags and an eventual wearing down of the pul outer.
• Using them at a pool or other heavily chlorinated area can reduce the lifespan of your elastic and can also cause fading.

We suggest that should you choose to give pocket diapers or covers a try as a swim diaper that you attempt to use the same ones each time.  This will reduce the overall wear and tear on your diaper stash and if pilling, fading or other wear should occur then you'll have used the same diapers and prevented too many diapers from unnecessary damage.

So if you're on a budget or need a swim diaper in a pinch then we suggest you grab a pocket diaper or cover and go for it!

*Have you used a pocket diaper or cover as a swim or water diaper?  We'd love to hear from you!

Carolyn's Review of the Knickernappies Onesize with LoopyDo's!

Knickernappies OS w/ Loopy Do's purchased at Simple Cloth

How did you like this Knickernappies Product?  I like my Knickernappies Onesize diaper.  It has a good fit on my son and I like the way it looks.  Being a side snapping diaper, it can be confusing for even my husband, who is familiar with snapping cloth diapers and has helped cloth diaper all 3 of our children, to figure out.   I did have a problem with this particular diaper repelling liquids really badly, but after stripping that problem went away.  I think it is just a problem with diapers containing fleece in general, not a problem specific to the Knickernappies diaper as I've had other diapers repel as well.

Would you recommend the Knickernappies Onesize Diaper to a friend? I do like this diaper and would recommend it to a friend!  I like that it is made in the USA which increases my likelihood to recommend this product to a friend. 

Did you like the fit of the diaper and which inserts did you use with it?  This diaper started fitting my large son at about 2 months of age (he was 9 1/2 pounds at birth).  It fit him well then and continues to fit him now at 13 months of age.  I use the Loopy Do's inserts which came with the diapers which are a blend of hemp and microfiber.  I like these inserts because the looping design means they dry a little quicker than other inserts. 

The Knickernappies inserts are wider than most other inserts for other diapers that I own.  They do seem to work really well and the hemp increases the absorbency. 

*Do you have any Knickernappies products?  We'd love for you to submit your review of them HERE.

Cloth Diapering in the heat of summer, Are they too hot for baby?

As a Florida girl I am all too familiar with those blazing hot summers. Babies are soaked with sweat when you take them out of their carseats, even in an air conditioned car, and it's really hard not to think that cloth diapers in warm weather just aren't a good idea.

Have you wondered the same thing? Well as an experienced cloth diaper user I just wanted to share my experience with cloth diapering in the heat of summer.

Here's my take...

Disposable Diapers, while they might seem light weight and airy at first, really aren't. Keep in mind that once peed in, disposable diapers essentially turn into a giant gel pack. Sodium polyacrylate, the super absorbent chemical that is the primary material in disposables is designed to hold 200-300 times its weight in water.

Once in gel form these diapers can retain heat, conform to the shape of your child's body and pose serious health risk, especially for males. Their super absorbency also results in them being left on much much longer than cloth diapers.

Cloth Diapers, although often covered with a non breathable outer, fit more generously and require changing more frequently keeping baby cooler. Yes, they too can make baby hot, but I think most would choose a moist cotton or synthetic fiber next to their little ones sensitive areas over a hot chemical gel filled disposable.

Diaper rash is common any time you live in a warm climate. I loved that with cloth diapers and a cute t-shirt my babies were ready to go out and enjoy their day, no real substantial clothing required. They were changed frequently and I also used a little Burts Bees Powder at each diaper change so they'd start out nice and dry. If the day turned out we were out and about all day and in the hot car, etc. then we'd go diaper free for a bit when we got home to let them air out and cool off.

Another great solution for those who really live in warm climates is to invest in something like Cold Seat, to help keep baby cool and comfortable.


What do you think? Have you cloth diapered with success in warm weather?

How to change a Wiggle Worm: A Lesson in EXTREME Diaper Changing!

Reader Contributed Article by Amanda Metro


Step by Step Instructions on How to Change a Wiggle Worm's Diaper!

Somewhere along the line, our passive, pleasant, angelic babies turn into non-stop motion-loving moving

machines. For most of us, this makes diaper changing a challenge, especially with certain types of cloth diapers.  Here, I will give you step-by-step instructions for how to handle this new obstacle.

Step 1: Join your local summa-wrestling club. If you don’t have one and do not want to spring for a plane ticket, visit a local high school and ask if you can participate on their wrestling team. At the very least, they should give you some pointers.

Step 2: Gather your materials. You may need any of the following: diaper, wipes, facemask, knee and elbow pads, helmet, genital cup, steel-toed boots and a net. Oh, and toys.

Step 3: Decide which strategy works best for your child. Do you need to hide behind a wall and pounce on him as he crawls by? Should you chase her around the house and wait to make your move, finally leaping on top of her and wrestling her to the ground? Perhaps your child is initially compliant, but once on the floor or changing table, you need to physically restrain her legs in order to do the change. Sometimes switching it up can do the trick. If they never know how it’s coming, they will have a harder time resisting.

Step 4: Create a distraction. You could hire a mariachi band. You could place a large cardboard box in the center of the room baited with a cute and cuddly stuffed animal. You could open the dishwasher or the refrigerator since these objects always seem to draw attention. You could even break into a fancy Irish jig that ends with you leaping on top of your stunned child and if you’re quick enough, you can change the diaper before she notices what you’re doing.

Step 5: Change the diaper. You should probably practice by putting a diaper on your cat or dog and seeing how fast you can take it off and put on a new one. If you don’t have an animal that will cooperate, try doing it on your husband. Once you feel you are ready to tackle the child, give yourself a pep talk. Drink some water. Put on your ‘Sweatin’ to the 80’s’ headband. You can do this! Own the diaper change!

Step 6: Relax. You’ve successfully changed a challenging diaper and you deserve to kick back. Besides, you’ll probably have to do it all over again in about 5 minutes.

*Note: No mariachi bands were harmed during the writing of this post.

Amanda is passionate about natural parenting and green living. She enjoys chasing after her two daughters, cooking, sewing, writing and gardening. In her spare time,  she volunteers as an articles editor for Natural Parents Network. Her blog, "Let's Take the Metro," is about as diverse as it could be. 

Winner of our Baltic Amber Teething Necklace is...Comment 106, Bridgett!

Congrats to Bridgett, Comment 106!  She's the lucky winner of our Knickernappies Baltic Amber Teething Necklace!

Thank you to everyone who entered, we appreciate all our fans and want you to keep your eyes peeled.  We'll have another giveaway coming up really soon.

If you're interested in purchasing our Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces or Bracelets please visit our Store Locator to find a retailer near you!

St. Patricks Day Sales Galore! Check them out!

Happy St. Patricks Day!  I bet you didn't realize that St. Patrick's Day is also a sale day?  Well it is!  And we know you just love any excuse you can get to purchase more fluff.  Cloth Diaper retailers everywhere are having special sales, discounts, photo contests, giveaways and more!

We'd like you to take a moment to visit our FaceBook Page and make sure to view "all" posts and check out all the great Sales Announcements by our Fabulous Knickernappies Retailers!

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic.  ~Adrienne Cook

Submit your Review of any Knickernappies products and you could win!

We know you like free products and giveaways and we LOVE feedback!  So we're starting a new promotion.  We'd like anyone who has tried any Knickernappies Products to submit a quick and easy review of them to possibly be featured on our Blog!

Simply fill out the FORM and submit!  All we ask is that you provide a minimum of one photo per review.  So if you're reviewing an item you use like the LoopyDo Insert then we ask that you submit a photo to go along with your comments.  Visit our form for more details.

Each month we'll choose one lucky winner from the reviews that we used on our Knickernappies Cloth Diaper Blog for that month!  It's that easy!

Spotlight on Simple Mom: Cloth Diapering 101!

I just love when you're wandering around the web and you come across nicely written, accurate information on cloth diapering in unexpected places.  The Simple Mom website is a very resourceful website loaded with tons of advice and information for "home managers."

Simple Mom's article Cloth Diapering 101 is truly a breath of fresh air.  The author, Tsh, gives a very gentle and unbiased rundown of the ins and outs involved with cloth diapers.  Her tone is friendly and while she does use cloth diapers and is obviously advocating them, you don't get the feeling that she's being pushy at all.

Tsh advises those who are considering cloth,

"No matter your decision, make it a well-informed one, and don’t write off cloth diapers without first learning more about them."

If you're looking for a great article to share with your friends about cloth diapering then this is a great one. 

How much do you love your Diaper Sprayer?

Today I thought we'd shine a little light on our Knickernappies Diaper Sprayer!  Diaper Sprayers are one of those cloth diapering accessories that many moms try to do without because of the added expense involved in purchasing them.  The thing is, diaper spayers make your life EASIER and they make diaper laundry less of a chore.

You might think that using a sprayer is like going back in time to when our grandmothers used to swish diapers around in the toilet and wring them out.  I'm sure we all cringe at that thought.  So any time you think about taking a diaper over to the toilet moms tend to think "ewwww, too much work!"

Let's go over some of the reasons you SHOULD use a Knickernappies Diaper Sprayer:

• Spraying a diaper before washing helps prevent odors from setting in.
• Spraying as much poop off of the diaper as you can helps prevent staining.  Depending on how long you go between washes, letting the poop dry onto your diapers is not wise, especially if you care about keeping them nice and white.  
• The cleaner your diapers are before you have to wash them the less likely you are to need extra rinses.  We all know from experience that not all "solids" just dissolve away in the wash.  Depending on the bowel movement and what baby ate, there may be bits and pieces of things which we shall not name...lol  These little bits and pieces may end up hanging around in the washer even after your diapers are washed resulting in you having to wash them all over again.
• No more unidentified "bits and pieces" turning up inside your pockets where they do not belong!
• Diaper Sprayers are easy to use and can be installed in a matter of moments, no plumbers needed.
• Knickernappies Diaper Sprayers feature an adjustable flow control valve so that you can adjust the pressure and minimize overspray.
• Assembled in the USA.

In my opinion, and if you ask any mom who has a Knickernappies Diaper Sprayer, you'll find that this is commonly referred to as the one cloth diapering necessity that they can not live without.

The benefits of using a diaper sprayer far outweigh the costs, especially when you take into consideration the fact that you'll be able to wash more efficiently and possibly eliminate those extra rinses and wash cycles.

So how about you?  Do you have a Sprayer?  Plan on purchasing one?  We'd love to hear your responses!

Friday's Featured Fluff Addict is....Miranda!

Please say hello to today's Featured Fluff Addict, it's Miranda from One Praying Mommy!

Tell us a little about yourself, where you are located, how many kids you have,little ones in cloth, etc. My name is Miranda I have been married to my awesome husband Matt for 7 1/2 years.  We live in sunny San Diego, CA and have 1 1/2 children.  Gracieana is 15 months and our little boy is due May 26.  Gracie is in cloth full time these days and we are excited to start from birth with the new one (we didn't with Grace).  I am an active blogger and I write about "Building a Village" through finding support in your community and giving it back! 

What made you decide to give cloth diapers a try?  Well we wanted to do it from birth with Gracie for eco reasons but new NOTHING about cloth. I thought the choices were disposables, pre-folds and plastic pants and G-diapers because they were all I had seen/heard of.  Once I found out about one size, AIO and such I was hooked.

What were your friends and family's reaction when seeing the "new" cloth diapers and have they been supportive or skeptical of your choice to use cloth diapers?  My GREAT group of mommy friends actually got me started, letting me borrow dipes to try out, encouraging me with links, sales sites, etc. so there was a TON of support there.  My family has been mostly supportive though some tease.

What was your very first cloth diaper? A girlfriend bought me a bum genius AIO and gave it to me at my baby shower and I was like, "What is this weird thing?  I'll never use it!"  I thought about tossing it but hung on to it and then when I found out what it was I LOVED it.  I also had G-diapers from Gracie's birth (I had registered for them) but used the disposable inserts for the first 6 months or so.


What type of diapers does your stash primarily consist of; pockets, aio, onesize, prefolds, flats, hybrids, etc.?  I have a few "hybrid system" diapers, G's and Gro-vias, 1 AIO (the old faithful baby shower gift) and a few onesizes.  Looking to build that up with more AIO, OS and some newborn diapers, pre-folds and covers.

What is your favorite Knickernappies product or which Knickernappies product are you dying to try and why?  I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Knickernappies are made in the USA and its family owned.  This is the biggest selling point for me.  It REALLY makes me want to buy them up.  Since I just started the CDing a few weeks ago and bought all my stash used I don't yet have any, but they are coming soon I swear as soon as that tax return gets here I want to try the custom fit size small and some one sizers!


Do you have a favorite place to hang out and talk or learn about cloth ; a Blog, Message Board, Facebook page?  I'm ALL OVER facebook with the CDing links, also I hope to review and giveaway some on my blog.


What cloth diapering item, besides diapers, do you consider to be a must-have accessory? The flushable liners make it so my husband is willing.

If you could share just one tip with someone who is just starting out with cloth or considering using cloth, what would be your best piece of advice to them?  Just try it- its easier than you think and if it seems to expensive initially just buy a few and get them used.  In the end you'll save TONS!

*Are you interested in being a Featured Fluff Addict just like Miranda?  Visit our FaceBook Page and in the Discussions Tab you'll find the information on how to submit your details.

Enter to win a Knickernappies Baltic Amber Teething Necklace! CLOSED

Knickernappies wants to know...Are you GaGa for Giveaways? We are!  We just love your enthusiasm for entering giveaways and your interest in winning and trying our products.

This week's no different!  We're going to make one teething baby a WHOLE lot happier.  The winner of this week's giveaway will receive a Knickernappies Baltic Amber Teething Necklace!

One lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive:

• (1) Knickeranppies Baltic Amber Teething Necklace!

What is Baltic Amber and why does it work for teething?
Read Monday's blog post to find out why this age old tradition of using amber to soothe common aches and pains is making a much deserved comeback.

Giveaway runs Weds March 09, 2011 through Friday March 18, 2011 at 11:59pm.  Winner will be announced Saturday March 19, 2011 on the Blog and our FaceBook Page as well as contacted via email.

Guidelines For Entry-

• First entry requirement is to leave a comment telling us if you've ever tried Baltic Amber for yourself or your babies and/or let us know if this is a teething remedy you've ever heard of.  We'd love to read your experience, no matter how brief.
• Please comment once per entry so that you are entered the correct number of times in the giveaway.
• Make sure you either leave your email address, blog or website address in each comment or make sure you are logged in to your Blogger account so that we can be sure to have a way of reaching you should you win.
• Contest is open to participants Worldwide.
• Winner is chosen via random.org and winning announcements are posted on the Blog & FaceBook.
• Participants have 7 days from close of giveaway to respond and claim their prize.

How to earn extra entries-

• Earn (1) extra entry for becoming a FAN or already being a Fan of Knickernappies on Facebook!
• Earn (1) extra entry for Following the Knickernappies Blog.
• Earn (1) extra entry for Following our partner blog, I Love Cloth Diapers!
  
• Earn (1) extra entry when you Follow @Knickernappies on Twitter.
• Earn (3) extra entries each time you Tweet this "Enter to win a @Knickernappies Baltic Amber Teething Necklace! http://ow.ly/4b9fn #clothdiapers " (Max. 1 tweet per day)
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To use trainers or not to use trainers, that is the question!

Funny how you're using cloth diapers and at some point you come to an age where you need to address potty training and the issue of whether or not to use trainers.

With cloth diapers your child is always a little more aware of the moisture when they pee as opposed to when they wear disposables and so it makes no sense to go from using cloth diapers to using disposable trainers.  Cloth trainers do exist but from my experience they're a sort of backup, not made to necessarily catch all that toddler pee, and let me tell you, my toddlers sure can pee a lot, especially at night.

I knew pretty early on that I just wasn't going to use cloth trainers for overnight, I wanted to stick with my pocket diapers.

I slowly began to transition the boys from cloth diapers during the day to wearing underwear during the day.  This went over great and they really enjoyed wearing their underwear just like daddy.  Each day we went virtually accident free, but at night there was just no chance I wanted to risk them BOTH wetting the bed, especially MY BED! lol

I decided that although our diapering days were pretty much over that I'd make one last investment in cloth and get them some new pockets to wear just at night.  I really didn't need new ones but I thought that having some new colors or prints might help them better understand that these were their special "nighttime" diapers and not just those same old ones they wore when they were a baby.  This went over really well with them. 

I explained that their special new "nighttime" diapers didn't actually need to get peed in, they were for just in case, and if they didn't pee in them then we could take them off in the a.m. and put them back in our special drawer.

I never felt that just because a child is technically in a diaper meant that they'd automatically feel the need to use the diaper.  My sons enjoyed getting to wear their new big boy underwear during the day and it wasn't long at all before they were able to wear them overnight too, but for quite some time we used our Knickernappies OS Pockets and a couple other pockets as our nighttime diapers.


So that's it in a nutshell, that's how we skipped training pants all together and it worked perfectly for us.  What are your thoughts?  Do you use trainers or plan on using them?  Do you use disposable trainers?  I'd love to hear your experience.

Do amber teething necklaces really work?

The pain and discomfort associated with teething is something that no mom can escape.  Baby is fussy, sleepless, resists eating and just isn't acting like his or her pleasant self.

The practice of using amber to ease the discomfort of a teething baby is becoming more and more recognized as a legitimate alternative to OTC pain medicines and even some doctors (only the really cool ones of course!) are now also suggesting it to their tiny patients parents.

But does amber really work?  Why does it work?  I'm going to fill you in on some details about amber and why it's use is on the rise.

Facts about Amber:

Amber is made from a resin not a sap.

Amber has been used for hundreds and hundreds of years as a natural analgesic, anti-inflammatory and  for it's pain relieving properties.  It is not used in the mouth to relieve discomfort but rather worn.  The warmth of the skin causes the natural amber to release trace amounts of healing oils.

Raw amber contains Succinic Acid.  Succinic Acid is also commonly known as "Spirit of Amber."  Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the history of Succinic Acid...

"Spirit of amber was originally procured from amber by pulverising and distilling it using a sand bath. It was chiefly used externally for rheumatic aches and pains..."

The highest concentration of succinic acid is found in the original outer layer of the stone.  Therefor the use of naturally formed nuggets and semi-rounded beads is ideal for teething jewelry in order to increase the healing and pain relieving benefits.

Amber is fast becoming recognized as a REAL teething remedy and is also worn by adults to relieve common aches and pains as well.

Knickernappies Baltic Amber is is 100% imported from Lithuania where is is collected.  You can read more about Knickernappies Baltic Amber products here http://www.knickernappies.com/balticamber.html

To locate a Knickernappies Retailer of Baltic Amber teething jewelry click >HERE<

Grandma Cloth! You haven't heard of it?

Article shared with the Knickernappies Blog by The Cloth Diaper Geek

"It's like sitting on a cloud!"  That's what she said... 

We talk about mama cloth all the time for a menstrual alternative, but did you know that mama cloth cloth could also be referred to as "Grandma Cloth?"  Yes my mom would totally kill me if she knew I was writing this, lol.  But it's the truth and I felt it was important to share.

Mama cloth is great for many reasons; health, comfort, the environment and our pocket books.  But have you ever considered that there's a whole other generation of women out there just waiting to be enlightened about the existence of mama cloth?  Yes, you heard right, grandmas!

Now I'm not one for really talking about such things, mainly because the thought of really getting old terrifies me,  but fortunate for me my mom comes to me with these sorts of topics.

Hadn't you heard?  As we females age we may or may not begin to experience incontinence, and there's a good chance it will be on a pretty regular basis.  My first experience with this was after the birth of my daughter.  She was about 1yr old and I was...26!!!!!

I decided to join a gym and lose a little weight.  I put her in the childcare room and headed off ambitiously to a kickboxing class, luckily an all female one.  Ready-Set-Warm up time!  The instructor hands us all a jump rope and says "got to it!"  I begin jumping, mind you it's probably been about 15 yrs since I had jumped rope, but I was confident I could do it, duh!

So what do you think happens?  A couple jumps into it and I pee all over myself! I mean it just came right out! No control at all.  Very surprising AND very embarrassing!  Now I'm not a quitter and the class was only moments into getting started so I had to go up to the teacher and explain.  She assured me that it's normal and happens all the time...yeah right! So I grabbed my kid and left, in a hurry!

What's this got to do with my mom?  Well she's a grandma, she's past her childbearing years, no more monthly cycle but it came to my attention that she still uses a LOT of light flow maxi pads.  I was astonished.  I should have known but it really didn't occur to me.  Turns out she really doesn't need them every day but wears them just in case because she never knows when she will.

I was really excited to turn her on to mama cloth.  She wasn't opposed at all, in fact she commented after she tried them that it felt like she was sitting on a cloud!  I'm so glad that she likes them and I am happy to have had the opportunity to tell her about them.

So the bottom line is...Mama Cloth works for Grandmas too!  So spread the word, tell your Grandmother or Mother about Mama Cloth today!

This is a republished article was also recently posted on the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog.  Julie, the Cloth Diaper Geek is a former Knickernappies retailer and is a cloth diaper advocate.  You can visit the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog here.

A day in the life of a Cloth Diapering WAHM.

The topic of wahm-hood is near and dear to my heart.  I am a wahm and I blog for Knickernappies, owned by Heather &  Shannon who are a wahm and wahd duo.  Many, actually most, of our Knickernappies retailers are wahm owned companies as well.

One of the best things about this industry is that through your support of the various cloth diaper manufacturers, retailers and bloggers, we're enabling moms across the country and around the world an opportunity to work from home.  But what is really involved in working from home?

While being a wahm is super rewarding, it is a lot of work too.  Just in the course of typing this blog post I have fixed two snacks, wiped someones butt, cleaned up dog poop, refereed two fights, changed a dvd twice and still have two little ones attempting to spin me in my computer chair while I type.  Oh and I had my coffee spilled on my desk, thankfully not on the keyboard...

On top of my wahm duties add receiving, unpacking, and sorting inventory, taking orders, packaging them, shipping them, responding to customer emails, managing a Facebook page and updating a website and you'll start to get an idea of what a cloth diapering wahm goes through in a days time.  And I didn't even mention the housework and other domestic responsibilities!

What reason do I have for wanting to share this with you all?  Well so that you might appreciate your wahm retailers a little more of course!

It's unfortunate in this economy that saving money has become a top priority and wahm businesses all over the place are suffering.  They work so hard for your business, will respond to your cloth diapering questions and help you troubleshoot at all hours of the night only to have you come back a week later and say "Remember me?  Well I picked up XYZ diapers like you suggested at a big box store or mega retailer, because they were on sale, and now I need your help!" 

What happens next?  Your favorite super helpful wahm, who you did not shop from, stays up late typing a response to your email hoping that her efforts will not be in vain, and that maybe one day she'll get your sale.  This is just a fact of life and a part of what's involved in being a cloth diaper retailing wahm, trying to operate a small business where customer service and word of mouth are everything.

It's common in this industry for customers to hold small businesses and wahms to a higher standard than the big box stores and mega e-tailers.  They expect super fast shipping, no mistakes, immediate response to emails and round the clock customer support.  It's my hope that you'll see the value in all the hard work a wahm puts into her business and consider that next time you go somewhere else to shop just to save a buck or two.  Surely her helpfulness and attentiveness is worth it.

Call to action!  Stop by your favorite wahm's FaceBook Pages and leave them a comment or send them an email today letting them know that you appreciate them.  I'm telling you it will mean the world to them.

*So what are your thoughts?  We'd love to hear from you!

Knickernappies Onesize Cloth Diaper Review by Kristi!

Retailer Contributed Article from WeeLittleChanges Blog!

Monday, February 28, 2011 marked the start of our tenth Knickernappies One-Size Giveaway on the Wee Little Changes blog. Because of that, I thought a review of this diaper was in order!

We’ve been using our Knickernappies diaper for at least six months now and, I must say I love it. For one thing, the side snaps make it more trim than its fellow one-size diapers. My son has a notoriously small bum, in fact I’d call it completely absent. Lol. While this diaper does still give him the appearance of having a bum, it doesn’t look quite so big as it does in some of his other one-size pocket diapers.

While we’re talking about the fit...I must say that Ian started on the second snap setting when he first wore this diaper six or so months ago. It’s only been in the last month or so that we’ve had to change the snap settings to the largest. He’s currently around 24-25 pounds. It really looks like he’ll still be spending many more months in this diaper without any issues. I think it’ll definitely get us to potty training time.

Another thing I love about this diaper is the color! We have the chocolate brown Knickernappies and it is just beautiful. You can’t get it in a lot of diapers. It’s one of those unusual colors that doesn’t seem all that unusual. Many of my other favorite brands don’t offer it, so it’s nice to see it from Knickernappies. Plus, it’s definitely a gender neutral color, so if I want to keep some of my pockets for our next baby to use, I can hang onto this one regardless of whether we have a girl or a boy.

The inner lining of this diaper is fleece which seems to have only gotten softer as time has gone on. It seems, in my experience at least, that the fleece is really good at acting like a stay-dry barrier between my son and the very soggy inner. This is one diaper that keeps him feeling dry. Many of the other pockets we have make him red after just a short time in the diaper. But not this one!

If I had it to do over again, I think I would have gotten a KN just-hemp instead of the microfiber inserts. It’s not that the inserts don’t work or don’t fit or anything like that. I just don’t like microfiber. We have smell issues with it and so I choose not to use it. Instead we stuff our pockets with tri-folded prefolds. The Just-Hemp insert is exactly what it sounds like: Just hemp. Lol. I like hemp. It doesn’t hang onto smell for us the way microfiber does and it holds a lot more liquid, which is great for my somewhat heavy wetter.

All in all, I love this diaper and I really think anyone who likes pocket diapers will feel the same about it! So if you haven’t yet entered our giveaway from February 28th, you should enter so you can have a chance to try it out too. Who knows? Maybe this is your new favorite and you just don’t know it yet!

Kristi Stokes has been the mom behind the Wee Little Changes blog for nearly a year now.  She is a stay-at-home mom to four awesome kids and started cloth diapering 3 years ago.  You can visit Wee Little Changes, a Knickernappies retailer, at http://www.weelittlechanges.com and enter to win a Knickernappies diaper each month at http://www.weelittlechanges.blogspot.com.

Is there anything that would make you give up cloth diapering?

I was recently corresponding with a cloth diapering mama who was back to using disposables and I began to wonder, what are the make or break scenarios that would cause you to give up cloth diapering?  Are there any for you?

The cloth vs. disposable battle often focuses on whether or not one is really greener than the other.  Cloth Diapering moms know the answer to that.  True, cloth diapers do require the use of water and electricity for washing but the effects can be minimized by changing your washing routine, using different styles of cloth diapers, hanging your diapers out to dry and so on.  No one is going to convince me that the resources used for washing diapers is greater than the resources used in the manufacturing, delivery and disposal of disposables.

Health wise, cloth diapers prevent you from having to expose your children to unnecessary toxins and chemicals found in disposables and are often the saving grace for moms whose babies and toddlers have sensitive skin.

Financially, the fact that cloth diapers can be reused on future children, used on multiple children at the same time and resold for approximately 50% or more of the original value is an amazing bonus!

So the benefits are overwhelming, but are there still circumstances that could make you change your mind and turn back to disposables?  Below are a few of the scenarios I came up with as possible causes...

• Unsupportive spouse or caregiver who is not cooperative and will not agree to use cloth.
• Daycare or Childcare will not accept children in cloth diapers.
• No longer able to do laundry at home and using a laundry mat would not be acceptable for you.
• Persistent diaper odor and/or laundry issues.
• Unexplained diaper rash that you can't get rid of.

Over the years I have met moms who are hardcore cloth diaper users/advocates, they never planned on disposables and using them is not even an option they can fathom. But I have also met many moms who seem to go back and forth between cloth and disposables and some who give up cloth all together.

I've always wondered...What are their reasons?  What are your reasons?  Do you flip flop between the different methods of diapering?  Do any of these reasons apply to you?  I'd love to read your thoughts and comments.