Nicki's Diapers

Thirsties Booty Love Giveaway WINNER!

2012-03-20T14:03:00.000-05:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim you prizes!

Funk Rock Giveaway WINNER!

2012-03-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

GroVia Prints SALE!

2012-03-16T08:37:00.001-05:00

Sweeten this deal by taking advantage of free shipping on all diaper covers, and all orders over $75! FREE gift with orders over $100!

Thirsties Booty Love Giveaway!

2012-03-13T15:33:00.000-05:00

Through March 18th, get 10% off ALL Thirsties Products! Enter below for your chance to try the new Thirsties Booty Love Diaper Cream!

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Thirsties Sale!

2012-03-09T09:34:00.000-06:00

Don't forget we have FREE shipping (in the continental US) on all pocket diapers and diaper covers and all orders over $75!

Ergo Sale!!

2012-03-05T08:55:00.000-06:00

Now through March 19th, all Ergo Baby Products are 10% off (excluding Petunia Pickle Bottom)! Don't forget ALL Ergo Baby Products ship for free at Nicki's Diapers!

Imagine Wipes Giveaway WINNER!

2012-03-03T09:38:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to.... Stephanie Klemm!

You've won the new Imagine Wipes Owl and Citrus Pinwheels Prints!

Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Aden & Anais Sale! Select 4-packs 25% off!

2012-03-01T09:27:00.000-06:00

Now through March 15th, get 25% off select Aden & Anais Muslin Wrap 4-packs!

Alpha Bit 4-pack, Baby Cakes 4-pack and Little Man 4-packs

$49.95 SALE $37.50!!

Rockin' Green Funk Rock Sale and GIVEAWAY!

2012-03-01T07:30:00.002-06:00

Feeling the itch to start your spring cleaning? Are your diapers smelling a little funky or looking a little dingy after a winter of being out of the sun? It might be time to pick up some Funk Rock and give your diapers a nice deep cleaning! Just 4 tablespoons of Funk Rock will get up to 20 diapers smelling like new again! Now through March 31st, pick up a bag of Rockin' Green Funk Rock for only $13.95!

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Oh Katy Giveaway WINNER!

2012-02-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

New Imagine Flannel Wipes Prints GIVEAWAY!

2012-02-23T21:23:00.000-06:00

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The First Year Freak-Out!

2012-02-23T09:47:00.000-06:00

One-Size Diapers are incredibly popular and with good reason! They allow you to change the sizing on the diaper to grow with your child, making cloth diapers even more economical! However, one of the most frequently asked questions we get at Nicki's Diapers is something like, "My 7 month old is so chunky and is already on the largest setting of his one-size diapers! There is no way these are going to fit through potty training! What do I do?!" I can almost hear the panic in their voice as I read it, because I've been there!

Let me tell you, it's going to be OK! The vast majority of children DO potty train out of their one-size diapers, even if they were a super chunky baby! Let me tell you my story :) Ian, my oldest son, came into the world more than 4 years ago at a whopping 9 pounds 11 ounces (born at 39 weeks, yikes!). We didn't start cloth diapering him till he was about 12 weeks old and we exclusively used BumGenius 3.0 One-Size Pocket Diapers. Right off the bat, Ian was on the second largest setting and within a couple months, they diapers were fully unsnapped. I was FREAKED! Did I just drop hundreds of dollars on these diapers only to use them for a few months?!

Then, he started to crawl and slimmed down a bit. Then, he started to walk and slimmed down even more. He was never an incredibly rolly polly baby, just really solid. Their body shape changes as they grow and even those who have maxed out the rise of the diaper will likely still be using them well into toddlerhood! I've also found that the more mobile baby becomes, the easier it is for them to have a lower rise diaper. As the close in on potty training, it more resembles underwear then, too! So, the good news is that when he potty trained just before his 3rd birthday at about 32 pounds, he was still fitting beautifully in his one-size diapers and we had actually snapped man of them down a snap to get a more trim fit under his toddler sized jeans. Just a couple months ago, our family was hit with a stomach virus and at 4 years old and 40 pounds, I put Ian back into one-size diapers for a couple days without any fit issues!

Pictured above, (left) Ian at 7 months old with the diaper fully unsnapped and (right, below) Ian at 2 1/2 years old, still wearing one-size diapers! So if you're like me and many of the concerned parents who's little one seems to be growing at a rapid rate, take a deep breath! You're not the only one to be having the "First Year Freak-Out!"!

Boba Wrap Giveaway WINNER!

2012-02-22T09:23:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Bumkins Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!

2012-02-22T07:00:00.014-06:00

For a limited time, some of your favorite Bumkins products are

Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!!!!

***Don't forget to take advantage of our free shipping (to the continental US) on ALL cloth diaper covers and pocket diapers to sweeten this deal even MORE!***

Oh Katy One Size Pocket Diaper Review and Giveaway!

2012-02-21T07:53:00.001-06:00

There are so many one-size pocket diapers on the market, and I feel like I've tried them all! When we got the Oh Katy One-Size Pocket Diapers in at Nicki's Diapers, it was one that I hadn't tried yet. I wanted to know, "What makes this diaper special?" As soon as I got my hands on it, I saw a few things that made this diaper unique! The first thing that grabbed me were the colors. They are bright and different from every other diaper color out there. I also love that they match their snaps to the color of the PUL. That is attention to detail that I appreciate!

Some other features that caught my attention was the pocket opening in the front of the diaper. Removing the insert from a dirty diaper can be a little scary, but having it in the front means you are much less likely to get messy hands! There are also a lot of snaps on the Oh Katy Diaper, and after playing with it for a few minutes, I found that those snaps are part of their ingenious design! To prevent wing droop on a little one, they have hip snaps, and there are also cross over snaps on the tabs for newborns!

When I tried this diaper on Emmett for the first time, he was just over 10 pounds. The fleece on the inside is SUPER soft and the gentle elastic in the legs contains leaks but doesn't leave red marks. It came with 2 inserts, a one-size insert and a newborn insert. Since he was still so tiny, I used the newborn insert on him and it made for a really nice trim fit! Of course, the most important part of a cloth diaper is it's performance, and with this one I didn't have any leaks! The Oh Katy washed up beautifully in my wash!

Would you like to try an Oh Katy One-Size Pocket Diaper? Now through February 27th, get 10% off all Oh Katy One-Size Pocket Diapers with free shipping on ALL pocket diapers at Nicki's Diapers! You can also enter below for your chance to win an Oh Katy Pocket Diaper in your choice of color!

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Imse Vimse Sales!

2012-02-20T14:44:00.000-06:00

Imse Vimse Soft Diaper Covers

20% off with FREE shipping on ALL diaper covers!

Imse Vimse Organic Cotton Terry Contour Cloth Diapers

20% off!

Imse Vimse Organic Cotton All-In-One Cloth Diapers

20% off!

Sales! Sales! Sales!

2012-02-17T21:19:00.000-06:00

Great sales are happening at Nicki's Diapers right now!

BumWear One-Size Pocket Diapers and Training Pants

15% off with FREE shipping on all pocket diapers!

Lanacare Wool Diaper Covers

20% off with FREE shipping on all diaper covers!

Prorap Colors Diaper Covers

20% off with FREE shipping on all diaper covers!

For more great deals on products you love, visit the SALE section at Nicki's Diapers!

Fuzzi Bunz SALE!

2012-02-16T19:14:00.001-06:00

Fuzzi Bunz Diaper Talk One-Size Elite Pocket Diapers

~~$21.95~~ NOW $15.95 with FREE shipping!

Fuzzi Bunz Trickle Free Trainer Prints

Small: ~~$19.95~~ NOW $13.95

Medium: ~~$21.95~~ NOW $15.95

Large: ~~$22.95~~ NOW $16.95

Boba Wrap Review and Giveaway

2012-02-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

I'm so fortunate to have the opportunity to bring my babies to work with me! That being said, it's ESSENTIAL that I have a good baby carrier to allow me to keep my baby close while getting my work done! When I was pregnant with Emmett, I had heard so many wonderful things about the Boba Wrap (formerly called the Sleep Wrap) that I purchased one to try with Sean, my 2 year old.

Pictured is a 45 pound child, no sagging!

At 28 pounds, I was skeptical about putting him into it and not being comfortable. One of the things that makes the Boba Wrap unique is that it's made with 5% spandex, giving it a nice stretch. When tying the Boba Wrap, you want to tie it snug against your body. I generally say "sports bra tight". I find this to be a much easier science than trying to figure out how much fabric to allow for your baby! Generally, Sean prefers to be down running around or worn in a back carry so I wasn't sure how he'd like it. I was so surprised how weightless and comfortable he felt in it! He didn't want to be held in it too long, but I think physically I could have worn him for a good long time! Several weeks later, he had a bug and wasn't feeling well. I asked him if he wanted to go in the carrier and he specifically asked for the "hug carrier"! He is right, it is just like giving a long hug to your little one!

When I was packing my hospital bag, I saw the Boba Wrap and thought, "why not?". To my surprise, I ended up wearing Emmett during our hospital stay. It was one of the only ways (other than nursing!) that I could get him to completely relax and sleep! From that point on, I've found the Boba Wrap to be one of the most essential baby items! It's perfect for wearing Emmett around the house, out and about, and at work! I love that I can put the wrap on and just take him in and out as needed without re-wrapping.

The Boba Wrap allows me to stay sane on days that my biggest boys need lots of attention (which really, is every day!) and Emmett doesn't want to be put down. I just pop him in and he comes along with me wherever I go, and I'm hands-free! When I'm at work, one guaranteed way to get Emmett to sleep is to put him in the Boba Wrap and grab a handful of web orders to pull!

Why is the Boba Wrap a great carrier for YOU? Here's why!

It's one-size, so it will fit you, your husband, your partner, your grandma... whoever!
It's versatile! Not only can it be used as a baby carrier, you can also use it as a blanket, nursing cover, burp cloth, or sunshade.
It is truly comfortable from birth through toddlerhood. Since you tie the carrier tight to yourself, it forms around the child, preventing them from sagging when they are heavier.
You can nurse on the go and very discreetly in the Boba Wrap! Here is the easiest way to do it!

The Boba Family has so generously sponsored the below giveaway of a Boba Wrap in your choice of color (excluding organic) so you can experience just how wonderful it is for yourself!

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Pucker Up with Lusa Lip Balm!

2012-02-14T06:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day from Nicki's Diapers!

While supplies last, get a FREE Lusa Organics Lip Balm with your order over $25 using code pucker!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: One-Size Diapers

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hands down the most popular modern cloth diapers on the market right now are one-size diapers. There are many benefits to using one-size diapers!

They are incredibly economical since they grow with your baby
They are a great option for families who have more than 1 child in cloth diapers since children can "share" diapers
They allow you to change settings on the diaper to accommodate change in baby's body shape as well as extra bulk for overnight diapers

There can also be a few cons to one-size diapers, especially when it comes to using them on a newborn.

Most one-size diapers don't start fitting till 8-10 pounds (depending on baby's shape) so you will have to use a "newborn" diaper in the mean time, or some families choose to use disposable diapers till their little one fits into their one-size diapers.
Since the diapers have to last through toddler hood, there will be some extra bulk on a smaller baby.

The good news is, I believe the pros certainly outweigh the cons! Since cloth diapers have such an awesome resale value (try your local craigslist or a cloth diaper resale website like undermycrib.com), you can start with a newborn stash for the first couple months and easily get a good amount back from re-selling!

When you are first trying one-size diapers on your little one, keep a few things in mind.

They're going to look HUGE! But remember your baby is going to grow SO fast and they don't move around much as a newborn anyhow.
Check the common spots for leaks do to poor fit. Lift their legs up and make sure you don't see any gaps. Make sure wings are tucked in and there is no gapping around the front.
Try a few different brands. Something that fits your baby at 3 weeks might fit completely different at 3 months. I generally do not suggest people build their entire stash out of the same brand if they haven't tried other brands yet.
Use a sized insert! Many one-size diapers come with 2 inserts, one of them usually termed a "newborn" or "small" insert. Take advantage of these as they will reduce bulk. Another great option is a system like the Best Bottom Diaper with the sized inserts that keep the diaper fitting nice and trim!

I've chosen some of the most popular brands of one-size diapers to show you on Emmett.

The BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with 2 newborn inserts. It adjusts with a snap up rise and the stretchy tabs allow for a really custom fit around the waist. These started fitting Emmett (who has very skinny chicken legs) right around 10 pounds. These are also available in a hook & loop closure.

The Fuzzi Bunz One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with the "small" insert. It adjusts with elastic in the back and legs to get a great fit! I did find these to have a little more bulk to them when the legs are cinched very tight but they fit closer to 9 pounds.

This Best Bottom One-Size Diaper has a small hemp/organic cotton insert snapped in it. These adjust with a snap up rise and close with either snaps or hook & loop around the waist. The extra leg gussets hold even the messiest of messes. These started fitting Emmett at about 9 pounds.

This Blueberry Coverall has a small Imagine Smart Fit Prefold under it. These generously sized covers fit suprisingly well on a small baby. The extra leg gussets also contain messes well! And just a sidenote, this particular cover was originally purchased for my now 4 year old when he was 1 1/2! This is the third child to wear it! :)

This Imagine One Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with a small Nicki's Microfiber insert. The inner fleece of this pocket is so incredibly soft and the PUL has a really nice stretch to it. This diaper started fitting Emmett when he was about 10 pounds.

Product Review: Flip Training Pants

2012-02-09T10:14:00.001-06:00

My middle son, Sean, at 2 1/2 is pretty much the epitome of a 2 1/2 year old middle child. He's spunky, stubborn and needs lots of attention. After we potty trained my oldest son, Ian, in 3 days, I knew we'd have a much harder time with Sean. Isn't that how it always goes?

Sean CAN go on the potty all day, but usually doesn't want to and isn't afraid to tell us that! Now that Emmett is moving into the one-size diapers, we have fewer diapers available for Sean. Knowing that we need something that is easy for him to pull up and down himself and something that will protect from accidents, I was excited to see the Flip Training Pants arrive!

The Flip Training Pants Package comes with 5 Organic Cotton inserts that attach into a one-size shell with hook & loop at the front and back. If the insert gets wet, simply change it out for another one! The stretchy side panels have snaps to allow for easy changes, if necessary. They are also interchangeable, allowing your child to customize their trainer! You can also purchase additional 3-packs of inserts if necessary!

Sean is not quite 30 pounds now and these fit him on the smallest setting. He's able to pull them up and down with ease and because of the natural fiber insert, he KNOWS when he wet! They are economical in that it's essentially 5 training pants in one. They also protect his clothing from leaks because the shell is waterproof! Once he's daytime potty trained, I envision these being a great option for catching overnight accidents.

The top two pictures are Sean (2 1/2 years old, about 30 pounds) and on the bottom is Ian (4 years old, about 40 pounds and heavily bribed for this picture).

Babykicks Organics One-Size Fitted Giveaway WINNER!

2012-02-08T20:35:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Family Cloth? Really?

2012-02-07T14:14:00.007-06:00

I admit. It's a taboo subject. It's not something you just bring up when you're making idle chat in the grocery checkout line. "Oh, I see you're buying toilet paper. Yeah, I haven't bought TP in a year -- we use family cloth." But my family and I use family cloth and I'm really, really happy with it!

So what exactly is family cloth? For us, it's toilet paper and tissues. I know what you're thinking -- ew. It's really not any different than cloth diapers, honestly! I keep separate supplies of each, even from our kids' cloth diaper wipes. Everything is washed separately as well. Cloth diaper wipes have always been washed with cloth diapers, I wash our grown-up cloth wipes by themselves, and I wash our cloth tissues with our towels with a scent-free detergent.

I've found a system that works really well for us using Planet Wise flannel wipes (they conveniently come in a pack with lime & chocolate colored wipes, perfect for color coding noses and bottoms...however crude *ahem*) and Planet Wise Wet/Dry bags. I hang a wet/dry bag from our towel rod and put clean wipes in the front pocket. When used, they go in the wet pocket for washing. I use a Mini Wet/Dry bag as a tissue box, with clean wipes in the front pocket and dirty ones in the wet pocket. My husband LOVES the cloth tissues, like old fashioned hankies! They hold up so much better to blowing noses and are so soft! The flannel wipes are fantastic for bottoms as well (just like for diaper wipes) as they clean better and you need far less than if you used toilet paper! You can even wet them prior to use to get extra clean.

Now, I still keep toilet paper on hand for guests. But I'm teaching our son to use the cloth wipes as he's potty training -- totally easier than having the kid who uses WAY too much toilet paper each time!

I never thought I'd be this "crunchy" but it's a huge money saver for us and it's so much easier than I imagined!

Planet Wise Nursing Cover Giveaway WINNER!

2012-02-07T13:21:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Flip For You Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Sale!

2012-02-03T08:31:00.000-06:00

Now through February 19th, all Zinnia and Noodle Flip One-Size Covers are Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!

Sniffles Package Giveaway WINNER!

2012-02-02T19:41:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Thirsties Duo All-In-One Giveaway WINNER!

2012-02-02T18:49:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Happy Hemp Day! Babykicks Giveaway!

2012-02-01T09:46:00.000-06:00

Every Wednesday is Hemp Day for our friends at Babykicks Organics! Why give hemp one whole day every week? I say... why not?! Hemp is one of the greatest fibers to happen to cloth diapers, and here is why:

Hemp plants grow like weeds with few resources, making it very renewable and eco-friendly!
Cloth diapers made from hemp are extremely absorbent, but more trim than cotton most synthetic fibers.
Hemp is less likely to retain odor and has some anti-microbial properties.
When blended with cotton, it's one of the most durable options for cloth diapers.

You can read all about my experience with the Babykicks Organics One-Size Fitted Diaper, made with 33% hemp here! You can enter for your chance to experience the love of hemp with your own Babykicks Organics One-Size Fitted Diaper below! Be sure to join in on the Hemp Day fun on the Babykicks Facebook page and tell them Nicki's Diapers sent you!

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Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Fitteds and Wool

2012-02-01T09:38:00.001-06:00

Something I learned very early on with my first child is that no matter how small the baby, they are fully capable of putting out obscene amounts of urine. I'm all too familiar with double stuffing pocket diapers, adding extra inserts to prefolds and searching for the perfect solution for overnight.

It was no surprise to me when our 3rd some came along that he was also a heavy wetter! Even though we were changing him at least twice per night, I still had to construct a properly absorbent diaper to last more than a couple hours without leaking! My search for the perfect night diaper came to an end on night, thanks to a mis-communication between me and a small error by my husband! Instead of putting one of the assigned "night diapers" on Emmett before bed, my husband had a slip of the mind (sleep deprivation?) and put a simple prefold with one of our hand-me-down wool soakers over it. I also forgot to mention to him that I was going to try to avoid changing Emmett's diaper at night because the cool air on his bottom was keeping him awake. Normally, I'd say this was the perfect storm for a full clothing and sheets change in the middle of the night. I was FLOORED when I woke up the next morning and changed his diaper to find that combination. So then I got thinking, if a prefold could hold, can you imagine what a good fitted could do?!

Enter, the Babykicks One-Side Hemp Fitted! This diaper is soft, stretchy and can hold a river! It's a pocket fitted that includes a Joey Bunz Hemp insert but can be stuffed with more if you need it! I love the color coded snaps because it makes diaper changes a breeze, knowing which snap I'm snapping without searching. The side snaps make for a nice trim fit, even on my youngest son, and allow for my potty training 2 1/2 year old to pull it up and down on his own. This one-size diapers adjusts with a snap-up rise that fits birth to approximately 40 pounds. Is your baby between snap sizes? Find out how to use a Snappi for a custom fit with the Babykicks One-Size Fitted Diaper here! The gentle elastic in the back and legs hold in messes without leaving red marks and the natural fibers against my boys' SUPER sensitive skin allows for breathability. There is a very informative video explaining all the feature of the Babykicks One-Size Fitted here.

Emmett is 2 months old and just over 12 pounds. I use this diaper for him overnight paired with Little Beetle Wool Soaker Shorts. I found the diaper to be absorbent enough with the single hemp insert it comes with, but for larger children I might suggest adding an additional Joey Bunz Hemp Insert. Emmett wears this diaper on the smallest rise setting and on the second smallest waist setting. Lots of room to grow!

Why wool you might ask? Wool covers or soakers are really nice for daily wear, but even BETTER for overnight! Wool is a natural fiber, so it's breathable and allows air to your little one's bottom at night, often preventing irritation. It's naturally antimicrobial and won't retain odor. Unless it gets soiled, it only needs to be washed every couple weeks. The best thing about wool for overnight it is absorbs 40% off it's weight in liquid without feeling damp, so it's great for super soakers!

Sean is 2 1/2 years old and about 30 pounds. He wears the diapers on the 2nd largest rise setting and since he is potty training, I snap is on the largest waist setting so he can easily pull it up and down. The natural fibers allow Sean to feel if he wets in it, which encourages him to use the potty!

I'm so in love with this diaper that I want you to try it, too! Now though February 7th, get 10% off all Babykicks Products! Also, look for a giveaway for your chance to WIN a Babykicks One-Size Fitted Diaper!

Planet Wise Nursing Cover Review and Giveway

2012-01-30T08:00:00.002-06:00

Now that I'm nursing my 3rd baby, I'm pretty comfortable to nurse just about anywhere. I've nursed in shopping malls, at the park, while grocery shopping, and even on top of the Sear's Tower (can't remember what it's called now, but it was the Sear's Tower while I was there :)). Generally, I'm just fine nursing without a cover while still being decrete. There are a few places though, that I do prefer to use a nursing cover, like in church! I don't know everyone's opinions on breastfeeding and it just doesn't seem right to possibly offend the church elders :)

I'm so glad Planet Wise came out with a nursing cover, since after my 2nd baby I loaned mine to a friend! Their fabrics are super hip and high quality, the cover has full coverage around the sides, and it comes with a small zip-up pouch to carry it around it. I can even throw an extra set of nursing pads and a small burp cloth in the pouch so I'm ready to nurse anywhere! Also, the neckline is rigid so I'm able to see my nursing baby without exposing too much.

I had the hardest time selecting which print I wanted (because I really only NEED one!), but finally settled on the beautiful Organic Kaleidoscope. YOU can choose your own print if you are the winner of the giveaway below!

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Best Bottom Doubler and Overnight Giveaway WINNER!

2012-01-27T09:39:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Sniffle Package Sale and Giveaway!

2012-01-27T09:13:00.002-06:00

Sniff, sniff. Cough, cough. AHH-CHOO!! Tis the season for germs and germ sharing! If you're like me, you're finding your little ones are the most adorable incubators for every little bug and virus out there! There are few things worse than having a sick kiddo. If you're lucky, it's just a cold that will pass quickly, but they can still be absolutely miserable and so can you.

When we had my first son, the hospital sent us home with one of those bulb syringes to clear out his nose when he was stuffed up. If you ever want to get your child to turn bright red and hyperventilate from crying so hard, get out the bulb syringe! I have to agree with their thoughts on it though! Can you imagine having a rubbery plastic thing shoved up your nose when you're already feeling pretty yucky? Then you have to pull it out, squeeze whatever goo out of it you can get, and repeat that multiple times. I'd cry, too.

When we had my second son, I was introduced to the most disturbingly wonderful product ever invented for parents... The Nose Frida Snot Sucker! You place the end of the Snot Sucker up to your child's nostrils. The very tip of it goes in just enough to form a seal with their nostril. Then you control the suction by sucking continuously and gently on the other end. Don't worry, there is a filter and the snot stays FAR from your mouth! You would be amazed just how much junk comes out! The best part of it is, no pain for your little one! The Snot Sucker snaps apart and you wash it with warm soapy water and replace the filter. No need to worry about snot lurking in the depths of the bulb syringe.

Casey is also a mom of boys and she knows all too well about sharing germs! She's had great results using Lusa Chest Rub and shares about it below!

As a child, my parents used the chest rub religiously whenever I coughed or sneezed. I remember so many nights going to bed and hating the sticky feeling of the petroleum-based gel that adhered my pajamas to my skin. LuSa Organics took the benefits of that old chest rub and made it NATURAL and SAFE! For congestion on babies (and adults!) 6mo and older, just rub a small amount into the skin. The soothing and healing aroma of eucalyptus, lavender, and tea tree essential oils will help your little one sleep easy. Now I can pull out the chest rub when my kids aren't feeling well, and I can feel happy that I'm putting something natural and safe onto their bodies!

We've put these two products together for our Sniffle Package and taken 15% off while supplies last! You can also enter below for your chance to WIN a Sniffle Package!

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Planet Wise Moo-licious Pail Liner Giveaway WINNER!

2012-01-25T08:11:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Thirsties Duo All-In-One Review and Giveaway

2012-01-24T19:53:00.000-06:00

When I think about modern cloth diapers, one of the first brands that come to mind are Thirsties. Every Thirsties product that I've ever tried has been of the highest quality and has always exceeded my (admittedly high) expectations of cloth diapers! When I heard they were coming out with another new product, I was very excited to give it a try! With 2 currently in cloth diapers, I always have a willing set of buns :)

First, let me tell you a little bit about the new Thirties Duo All-In-Ones! Their signature Duo sizing has the Size One Diaper fitting 6-18 pounds and the Size Two Diaper fitted 18-40 pounds! Each size has 2 rows of rise snaps, giving them a combined 6 rise settings! The inner is lined with a super soft fleece to keep baby feeling dry. The built-in microfiber soaker makes super easy diaper changes with no folding or stuffing. The waterproof outer means no cover needed! These are available in snap or aplix closure.

Emmett is 2 months old and 12 pounds so I used the Size 1 Snap (Mud) on him. He is on the middle rise setting and still has plenty of room to grow in both the rise and waist. I was surprised when I noticed that Thirsties didn't use their double leg gussets on these, but I was so please that it held messes in just as well and the gentle leg elastic didn't leave any marks on his legs. Emmett is a super soaker so one of my favorite things about this diaper is the ability to add more absorbency! There is a pass through sleeve where I can stuff a Thirsties Hemp Insert or any other doubler when Emmett is wearing the diaper overnight. Many one-size diapers are still quite bulky on Emmett, but because Thirsties uses their Duo system, this diaper is really nice and trim!

Sean is 2 1/2 years old and about 30 pounds so I used the Size 2 Snap (Hoot) on him. He is also on the middle rise setting with lots of room to grow (although I hope he potty trains out of diapers before he grows much more ;-)) Sean is a little thicker built and we still did not have any problems with red marks on these. They are SUPER trim and fit great under his jeans! He has INCREDIBLY sensitive skin, so I was thrilled when he was able to wear this overnight (with a prefold used to add absorbency) and wake up DRY and without irritation!

Would you like to find out about more wonderful Thirsties Products? Request their catalog here! Would you like to win a new Thirsties Duo All-In-One in your choice of size, print and closure? Enter below!!

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Diono Monterey Booster Seat SALE!

2012-01-20T01:55:00.002-06:00

Now through February 17th, take advantage of 10% off ALL Diono (Sunshine Kids) Monterey Booster Seats with FREE SHIPPING!

Product Review and Giveaway! Best Bottom Diapers Microfiber Doubler and Hemp/Organic Cotton Overnights

2012-01-19T00:29:00.002-06:00

I didn't think I could love a diaper more, but I was recently proven wrong! Best Bottom Diapers has released new Micofiber Diaper Doublers and Hemp/Organic Cotton Overnight inserts, adding 2 new great options to a line of the most versitile cloth diapers available!

The Microfiber Diaper Doubler is made of 2 layers of microfiber and has snaps on both sides. Simply snap your Diaper Doubler into your Best Bottom Diaper Shell, and snap your Stay-Dry or Hemp/Organic Cotton insert (of the same size) on top! This is a great option for a heavy wetter, nap-time or long car rides! I've found it difficult to find a trim cloth diaper option that is absorbent enough to hold Emmett's heavy wetting. He's teetering on the edge of the next clothing size and in order to get a few more wears from them, we need a trim diaper! I've found these fit the bill perfectly!

If heavy wetting is a concern during the day, imagine what it's like at night! Emmett is still nursing every 3 hours at night, but we've found he is WIDE AWAKE for HOURS if we change his diaper. Enter... the Best Bottom Hemp/Organic Cotton Overnight insert! This insert snaps into your Best Bottom Diaper Shell and you snap a Stay-Dry or Hemp/Organic Cotton Insert on top. This creates a bullet-proof overnight diaper!

You might tag a look at the price tag and get scared off. $9.99 for an insert? The truth is hemp is one of your best options for absorbency but it's often a little pricer. But think of it this way, you'll only likely need 2 or 3 of them (depending on how often you wash) and buying a $9.99 insert to turn your daytime diaper into a night time diaper is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a diaper specifically for night time!

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Planet Wise Moo-licious Pail Liner Giveaway!

2012-01-17T10:35:00.000-06:00

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Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Diapering More Than One Child

2012-01-12T19:24:00.001-06:00

One of the greatest benefits of using cloth diapers is the amount of money that it can save you. That amount is multiplied when you use them for multiple children! If you're like me, you may find that you have more than 1 child in cloth diapers at a time! Now that Emmett has joined our family, I'm finding myself with 2 in diapers for the second time. My middle son is 2 1/2 and although he's partially potty trained (when he chooses to be!), I'm still doing cloth diaper laundry for two!

Here are a few tricks I've picked up along the way:

One-size diapers are the most convenient, particularly diapers that have a snap up/down rise to make changing the diaper size between children a snap (haha)! It's also convenient when you're on the go, bring any 2 diapers with you and you're covered for both kids!
Don't go too long between washing! When you're filling your pail up with diapers for two kids, you may not realize just how many diapers are in there. You don't want your loads to get so big that your washer isn't able to get them clean enough. I would suggest not washing more than 18-24 diapers at a time. If you're using a system like Best Bottom Diapers, you can push that a bit more since they take up less space in your machine.
Relax! Go into each day knowing you're going to be changing a lot of diapers and ENJOY it! Savor those couple one-on-one minutes with that child! Make goofy faces and sing silly songs. Embrace the fact that every cloth diaper you are changing that day is going to be reused over and over again.

Before you know it, you'll have one in diapers, then none! If you're like me, you'll have to get a new hobby :)

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Flats

2012-01-04T19:19:00.001-06:00

When we got our last shipment in of Imagine Prefold and Flat Diapers and I helped count dozens upon dozens of them, I had a lot of time to think :) Think about how I had tried just about every cloth diaper type out there and why I liked each one for different reasons. As I stacked up the pile of Imagine Flats, I realized that was one type of diaper I had never tried. Flats certainly aren't a "modern" cloth diaper, but we still sell quite a lot of them at Nicki's Diapers and I like to be able to share my experiences with diapers when customers ask! So that solved it, I was bringing home a dozen Imagine Organic Flats that night!

You should have seen the look on my husband's face. "These are... diapers?", he asked. I showed him several ways to put them on our 2 year old, and he still didn't understand what makes these better than prefolds (by the way, he is a prefold guru). Here are some of the reasons that I gave him for why people might chose flats:

They are one-size. Meaning, we could use those same flats that we were trying on my 2 year old with the baby I was pregnant with at the time. Extremely economical, especially when paired with a one-size diaper cover!
They are very easy to clean. When flats are completely open, they are just a single layer of birdseye. When washing this allows lots of water and detergent to get the diapers VERY clean!
They are versatile. There are a variety of folds you can do to suit you and your baby's needs. They can also be used as doublers and to stuff pocket diapers.
They are useful after cloth diapering! After your little ones are out of diapers, use your flats to wash your car, as a dusting cloth or general cleaning rag, or to get your mirrors and glass surfaces clean without lint!

Now that our little guy has arrived, I've tried flats on him multiple times. They are so much easier than I had anticipated! Can you imagine how much money you'd save (especially over the course of multiple children) if you used flats and covers exclusively?!

There are quite a few ways to fold flats, probably even more than prefolds. I've found 2 folds that I prefer on my 6 week old. The first is called a pad fold. Basically you just fold it several times till I lays nicely in your cover. Below is a picture of a pad fold in a Thirsties Duo Wrap size 1. The pad fold is nice because it's quick and puts lots of absorbency where you need it.

The other fold that I found to work great on Emmett is the Origami Fold. I would love to provide you with detailed pictures on this fold, but I find it more helpful to look at a video. If you search Origami Flat Folds on Youtube, you'll get lots of great results :) Since Emmett is a heavy wetter, I trifold an XS Imagine Smart Fit Prefold and lay it in the wetzone. I also fold in the wings since he's still pretty tiny around the waist.

In the picture below, I held the flat on with a Snappi before putting the Thirsties Duo Wrap Size 1 over it, but I've also found it nice to just wrap the wings around him and put the cover over the top. I like the Origami fold because it's a little bit more trim between the legs, and it also prevents the newborn poop from getting on the inside of the cover.

Are you wondering just how economical using flats and one-size covers exclusively could be?

3 Dozen Imagine Flat Diapers: 3 x $14.99 = $44.97
8 Imagine One-Size Diapers Covers: 8 x $7.95 = $63.60

That's just over $100! Can you IMAGINE saving that much money?! And you can use those diapers for future children, too!

And just because my little guy's bottom half has been getting so much publicity... here's his sweet face. Can you believe how much he's chunked up?! WUB!

Rockin' Green Products 10% OFF in January!

2012-01-01T09:45:00.000-06:00

For the entire month of January, all Rockin' Green products will be 10% off!

Take advantage of these great deals all month, January 1st through January 31st. No coupon necessary, valid in store and online!

Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper & Laundry Detergent
With three formulas - Soft Rock, Classic Rock, and Hard Rock - to cover all water types, these detergents are gentle enough for baby bottoms and yet strong enough to clean out the yuckiest messes. Rinses clean to prevent buildup. Plenty of natural scents to choose from! No dyes, fillers, enzymes, optical brighteners, phosphates, and it's HE compatible! Just want to try a little? Grab a sample size HERE! Rockin' Green Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer
100% natural compound formulated to battle ammonia stink! Four tablespoons will de-funk up to 20 diapers! Enzyme, phosphate, and SLS free! Rockin' Green Femme Rock
Do you use mama cloth? Femme Rock is a specially designed cloth menstrual pad detergent that will keep your reusable pads looking clean! It is enzyme based to fight tough stains and is scent, phosphate, and SLS free! Rockin' Green Melody Odor Neutralizer & Fragrance Spray
Finally, a spray that's made with all natural ingredients (so it's safe to use around kids and all fabrics) that still smells great! Spray in any area to get rid of any funky smells. Comes in lots of your favorite Rockin' Green scents! Rockin' Green Dryer Ball
Soften your clothes and reduce drying time NATURALLY! No fragrances, dyes, or toxic chemicals. Simply toss the dryer balls in the dryer with your wet laundry. No need to remove them - great for all laundry! 100% wool and 9" circumference, approximately 3oz each. Rockin' Green Shake it Up! Pail Freshner
Add a sprinkle to your wetbag, diaper pail, or trash can to freshen and neutralize odors! Seven fresh scents to choose from! Rockin' Green Magnetic Laundry Scoop
Keep your detergent scoop within easy reach -- just stick it to the side of your machine with magnets! You'll never lose it again! Sides measure 1 tablespoon (with 1/2 tablespoon mark) and 1 teaspoon. Choose one of several fun colors to match your decor!

bumGenius! Freetime AIO WINNER!

2012-01-01T07:24:00.003-06:00

Congratulations! Please email casey@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

bumGenius Freetime All-in-One One Size Diaper Review and Giveaway!

2011-12-23T09:00:00.001-06:00

I had the opportunity to review a new bumGenius Freetime All-in-One and I even get to share one with you! My first impressions were good -- the Albert print I chose is ADORABLE. My husband and I are a little on the geeky side, and even he commented on how cute it is.

I was impressed by how trim the diaper is, even for an all-in-one. The way the inserts are attached and layered makes them spread out for coverage and gets tons of agitation and air flow in the washer and dryer. Some of my other all-in-ones take forever to dry, but this was done with my regular inserts! I definitely feel like there's enough absorbency with the multiple layers of microfiber too, even with my heavy wetter.

The fit was great on my two year old -- the bumGenius stretchy side tabs and trim diaper combined to give a great snug fit. On a smaller baby, the layers can be folded to put them right where they're needed. (I apologize for the lack of pictures, my kids have been sick and the shots I got of him in the diaper were pretty sad-looking!) Overall I really like this new design -- and you have the opportunity to win one, too! (Choice of color and closure depending on availability.)

You can do each one of the entries however you must post back here to our blog and tell us WHAT you did. Be sure you follow the Nicki’s Diapers blog - publicly for your chance to win! We will post our winner on Friday, December 30th!

How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)

REQUIRED ENTRIES:

Follow the Nicki’s Diaper blog publicly.

"Like" Nicki's Diapers on Facebook- Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here.

Optional Entries:L ENTRIES

Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers or #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
Tag @nickisdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 12/21/11 and 12/29/11. Include your order number in your entry.
Tell us your favorite bumGenius color or print!

GOOD LUCK!!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Circumcision and Cord Stump Care

2011-12-22T09:00:00.012-06:00

Another obstacle people encounter when they decide to cloth diaper from birth is how to successfully use cloth diapers while caring for baby's circumcision and/or cord stump. First, we'll look at how to use the cloth diapers when your baby has a cord stump. Many doctors have different recommendations on how to card for your baby's cord stump, and in my experience those recommendations seem to change every several years! Of course I will suggest finding out what your baby's doctor recommends before following any of this advice.

When we had Emmett, we were told to keep the cord stump dry and it would heal on it's own. Seems simple enough! That meant the only thing we had to do in concern with cloth diapers was to use diapers that sat low enough on him so they went below the stump. The good news is almost all newborn and XS diapers take this into consideration and offer some sort of snap-down or are just cut lower. The diapers that I felt fit him the best when his cord stump was still attached were BumGenius Newborn All-In-Ones, Kissaluv Fitteds size 0, Imagine XS prefolds with Thirsties Duo Wraps or Rumparooz Newborn Covers, GroVia Newborn All-In-Ones, Thirsties Duo Diapers and Rumparooz Lil Joey All-In-Ones. Below are pictures of him wearing an Imagine XS Prefold under a Rumparooz Newborn Cover (left) and Kissaluvs Fitted 0 under a Thirsties Duo Wrap size 1 (right).

The decision to circumcise is obviously a very personal one, so this is not to start a debate on that topic. If you don't choose to circumcise, you have no special care for that area on your little boy (same goes for if you have a girl, no special care!). If you do choose to circumcise your little boy, again check with your doctor to see what they recommend for care.

Our doctor's instructions were to keep the area moist with a zinc oxide-free diaper cream to prevent it from sticking to the diaper. The hospital provided A&D ointment but I was hesitant to use it on our cloth diapers. If you would like to use the A&D ointment, I just suggest using a reusable or disposable liner between your baby's bottom and the diaper to prevent it from coating the diapers. I chose to us CJ's BUTTer on Emmett's circumcision to prevent it from sticking to the cloth diaper. Normally, I would still suggest using a barrier when using a CD safe cream, but since we were only using prefolds in the hospital with the CJ's, I decided to try without it. Natural fibers are generally more forgiving of washing and if I ruined a few prefolds, I wouldn't have been out much. The good news is the CJ's washed out perfectly and within a couple days, Emmett was healed and we no longer needed to use it!

So if you're still on the fence about cloth diapering from birth, there are two more concerns tackled ;0)

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Using Prefolds on a Newborn

2011-12-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

When I first started cloth diapering 4 years ago, I was far too intimidated to use prefolds. I mean a diaper that has the word "fold" in it has to be complicated, right? Wrong! When my oldest son hit about 6 months, I felt like I was in the cloth diapering groove and decided to take on the challenge. I purchased a dozen prefolds and a handful of covers. Two kids later and I'm still hooked! I've found that the only thing easier than using prefolds on a baby is using prefolds on a newborn! Here is why:

Newborns go through a LOT of diapers. You'd think since I'm on my 3rd child, I'd remember just how many. I'm still floored as to how often I'm standing at the changing table every day changing a diaper that I feel like I just put on him! Prefolds are incredibly inexpensive, so with all those diaper changes, you're getting a lot more bang for your buck!
Prefolds are easy to clean! In my experience, prefolds and flats are two diapers that you will rarely have stink issues with. The natural fibers don't hold onto odor like some synthetic fibers do, they sun out stains very easily, and my favorite part.. no folding or stuffing when they're dry! Just stack them up!
Putting a prefold on a newborn is easy peasy. No newborn I've ever met can pull out the alligator roll and try to jump off the changing table like many toddlers do. So if you're still getting the hang of your favorite fold and getting that Snappi on, don't worry! Your newborn isn't going anywhere!
We all have things we look for in a cloth diaper, but when it comes down to it the most important thing is that it contains the poop and pee, and a prefold does this wonderfully! Newborn poop can be runny and explosive, so I love to use a Snappi to contain the mess in the prefold itself. If you prefer to trifold, a snug fitting cover will contain the mess, too. No more poop up the back, out the leg, or anywhere else it manages to get :)

And now onto the part that initially intimidated me... the folding! Google "prefold folds" and you'll find a never ending list of videos and how-tos on a dozen different folds. If you can, try a bunch out and see which suits you and your baby best! I have two folds that I find to be the easiest and I use on a regular basis:

Trifold: This is exactly what it sounds like... folding your prefold into thirds! Quick and easy! Then lay your prefold into your cover of choice and wrap onto your baby! This adds a ton of absorbency front to back and even your husband, grandparent or babysitter can do it! There are two small cons to this technique. It can be somewhat bulky to have so many layers, especially in the back of the diaper. Also, the newborn poop can sometimes get on the INSIDE of your diaper cover, meaning you may have to have more covers on hand.
Angel Wing Fold: This is the fold I use with prefolds 95% of the time. It's quick, easy, absorbent and very trim in the back. While I use this fold on my 2 1/2 year old, it's my favorite on a newborn because it contains all the poop in the prefold and I'm able to get many uses out of my covers. Below are step-by-step pictures on how to do an angel wing fold on your baby.

I've found my absolute favorite prefolds are the Imagine Smart Fit! They are cut more square to reduce bulk. Emmett was 7 pounds 12 ounces when he was born. We started with the Imagine Smart Fit Extra Small and they fit beautifully! They were hands down, our trimmest option. My kids like to give me a challenge, though. All 3 of them have been heavy wetters! The Imagine Smart Fit Small were considerably bulkier on him right away, but gave lots of absorbency. Here he is just when we came home from the hospital at a little over 7 pounds, first in an XS size (orange stitching), then a Small size (green stitching):

Now he is just over 10 pounds at 4 weeks old. We're still using both the Imagine Smart Fit XS and Small. I've found the XS size trifolded makes a great doubler in our small pocket diapers, too! I've also been adding one trifolded into the diaper cover when using the XS with the angel wing fold for some extra absorbency. Again, the XS on the left, Small on the right (both with a Best Bottom Diaper Cover).

Hopefully this may help some of you who were nervous about using prefolds and covers! They really are not difficult at all and there is something so simple and natural about a basic cotton prefold on a baby. Here is a quick price breakdown of what using prefolds for the first 3 months may cost:

2 dozen Imagine Smart Fit XS Prefolds: 2 x $15 = $30

2 dozen Imagine Smart Fit X Prefolds: 2 x $18 = $36

8 Diaper Covers (will vary slightly with brand): 8 x $12.25 = $98

2 Snappi Diaper Fasteners: $5.75

Total: $169.75

In rough estimate, you'd spend about $270 using your typical disposable diaper in the first 3 months of diapering. You can see how much using prefolds and covers will save you, and don't forget that cloth diapers have an amazing resale value (or you can use them on your next children), saving you even MORE money!

Planet Wise Wet Bag Giveaway WINNER!

2011-12-19T21:31:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

FuzziBunz Zippered Tote WINNER!

2011-12-15T15:50:00.004-06:00

Congratulations! Please email casey@nickisdiapers.com within a week to claim your prize!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Washing Newborn Diapers

2011-12-13T20:22:00.001-06:00

Anyone who has ever had a new baby knows just how much laundry they produce. It still amazes me after 3 children, just how many tiny pieces of clothing a tiny little person dirties! You might be overwhelmed at the thought of adding in cloth diaper laundry. Here is the good news: Washing newborn diapers is EASY! And when I say easy, I mean that I'd rather wash the 12-15 diapers/day that my 3 week old is putting out than the 2-3 diapers/day that my almost potty trained 2 1/2 year old is putting out! Here is what makes it so easy:

The poop! If baby is exclusively breastfed, there is no need to do any spraying, scraping or dunking to get rid of the poop. While the bright yellow poop (or the hot mustard explosion as my husband calls it) may look, well.. disgusting, think of it as the consistency of yogurt. It's water soluble and will rinse away when you do your first rinse or cold wash in your wash routine.
The smell! Better yet, the lack of smell! I'm not getting all high and mighty by telling you my kid's poop doesn't stink. I'm telling you that newborn poop doesn't stink! Breastfed poop is generally void of a foul odor, which means you are less likely to have to deal with stinky diapers!

I have 2 places I store dirty diapers. I have a dry pail with a Planet Wise Pail Liner in Emmett's nursery and a Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag in our bathroom. My 2 1/2 year old's diapers get thrown into the bag in the bathroom (convenient after spraying off a #2) and my newborn's diapers are in the pail (poop and all!). On wash day, I empty both of these into my washer and throw in the liner and bag. I do a cold rapid wash followed by a hot wash with detergent and an extra rinse. All covers and pocket shells go on a folding drying rack and inserts, prefolds and fitteds get tumble dried.

Special Considerations

Stains- It's true that the bright yellow poop does seem to stain cloth diapers. The good new is that even with a stain, they are clean. The other good new is that breastmilk poop stains fade over washing and sun out easily!
Meconium- I've had quite a few people ask me about meconium poop and how it washes out. This was honestly one of my biggest concerns before embarking on this journey! Emmett passed most of his meconium while we were still in the hospital. I didn't use any liners with the cloth diapers during that time. All of those diapers were stored for 2 days in our wetbag before being washed and all came perfectly clean!
Detergent Sensitivities- I don't have to tell you just have sensitive a newborn's skin may be! If you find that your little one is getting a rash or reaction only where their diaper touches, they may be sensitive to the detergent you are using. Make sure you are using something free of additives and free of fabric softener. Although specially advertised to be for babies, Dreft detergent is not a good option for cloth diapers. Also make sure you are rinsing your diapers well after the wash to ensure all detergent it out!

Planet Wise Wet Bag Giveaway!

2011-12-09T21:34:00.001-06:00

A good wetbag is ESSENTIAL to have a good cloth diapering experience! I LOVED using my Large Planet Wise Wet Bag for storing dirty diapers at the hospital. Now you can win one for yourself! -Annie

How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)

REQUIRED ENTRIES:

Follow the Nicki’s Diaper blog publicly.

"Like" Nicki's Diapers on Facebook- Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers or #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
Tag @nickisdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 12/9/11 and 12/19/11. Include your order number in your entry.
Tell us your favorite Planet Wise Print!

GOOD LUCK!!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Using Cloth Diapers at the Hospital

2011-12-09T21:07:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe it's been more than 2 weeks since my little guy came flying into the world! At just over 38 weeks, he surprised us by coming earlier than we expected. He also surprised us by being the smallest of our children, weighing in at 7 pounds 12 ounces! He was 2 pounds lighter than my first born and 1/2 pound lighter than our second born! I'm proud to officially present to you, Emmett McIntyre, born at 1:48pm on November 22nd! Here is he in his first cloth diaper ever at not quite an hour old.

We had an incredibly positive experience using cloth diapers at the hospital that we delivered at. In fact, before we were even admitted to the hospital, we were getting great feedback! While in triage, one of the nurses asked me if I worked at Nicki's Diapers. She was a blog and facebook follower :) This brought up the topic of cloth diapers with another nurse and she was very interested to hear about modern cloth diapers and wished she had tried them on her children. While in labor, we told our nurse that we wanted to use cloth, gave her the first diaper for him and showed her how to put it on. As you can see from the above picture, after nearly an hour of loving on our new baby, the first diaper on his bottom was a GroVia Newborn All-In-One.

After we were transferred to our family suite, I set up the "bassinett" drawers with everything we would need to use cloth diapers for the next 2 days. I hung our Planet Wise Large Wet Bag from the handle for easy storage of dirty diapers. All-In-Ones, pockets and fitteds went into one storage slot. Prefolds, Snappis and covers went into another storage slot. Liners, CJ's BUTT-er and my Planet Wise Small Wet Bag filled with Imagine Flannel Wipes went into another slot along with the provided disposable diapers. The picture below is actually taken just before discharge so many of the diapers have already been used.

I think the most important thing to do when trying to have a good experience with cloth diapering at the hospital is to have good communication with anyone providing care for you or your baby. Everytime a new nurse came on shift, we let her know that we preferred the cloth diapers and showed her how they worked (this was the main reason we brought some "easy" diapers like the pockets and all-in-ones). We also let her know that we were ok with a disposable diaper being used on the baby. While it was mainly my husband and I who changed Emmett's diapers, there were a couple times he was brought to the nursery for exams/tests and he returned in a disposable diaper. I'm happy to report they put the dirty cloth diaper in the correct place, though :)

We came home with a nearly full wetbag, and just emptied them into the washer along with the diapers left from my middle son's pail. One load of laundry is a drop in the bucket to the laundry that newborns produce, and in all honestly cloth diaper laundry is my favorite because no folding is necessary :) I highly suggest anyone who is interested in trying cloth from birth bring their diapers to the hospital. I'm so glad we did!

EcoPosh One Size Fitted Diaper Review!

2011-12-08T15:03:00.005-06:00

When the EcoPosh One Size Fitted Diaper arrived, I gushed about how incredibly SOFT they were. I couldn't wait to try one out on my boy, and now I can share my thoughts on them with you! The first thing I noticed about these diapers is that they have some great features that I haven't seen in other fitted diapers. They're made of a unique combination of bamboo, organic cotton, and recycled water bottles which makes them some of the softest diapers I've touched and also amazingly absorbent. The sizing fits a wide range of babies -- 6lbs-35lbs or so. My youngest is about 27lbs now, and it fit him well! It is a stuffable pocket fitted diaper, meaning that you can adjust the absorbency. The EcoPosh One Size Fitted Diaper is made by the same company that makes Rumparooz One Size Pocket Diapers, and features a bamboo version of their great 6r soaker. I found the bamboo 6r soaker to be incredibly absorbent and trim -- the contoured design made it a better fit between my guy's legs, and I liked the option of changing the position of the soaker to put the absorbency where it's needed most. The other unique feature of these diapers is the patent-pending double inner gussets. I found that they really helped to contain even really messy messes (we had a nasty stomach bug come through our house...yuck!) better than any other fitted I've tried! I paired it for nighttime with a wool Aristocrats soaker and the results were bulletproof. No leaks! I am really very impressed with these diapers, and can safely say they are the nicest fitted diapers I've used on my kids. I love them for overnights, and if you wash every other day you really only need two to have a great nighttime diaper solution!

Charlie Banana WINNER!

2011-12-07T09:00:00.004-06:00

Congratulations! Please email casey@nickisdiapers.com within a week to claim your prize!

LuSa Organics WINNER!

2011-12-03T11:38:00.004-06:00

Congratulations! Please email casey@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Kissaluvs Marvels One-Size All-in-Ones WINNER!

2011-11-30T12:33:00.007-06:00

Sorry we're a day late in posting this, Black Friday and Cyber Monday

(along with Annie's baby coming!) pushed this back a day!

CONGRATULATIONS! Please email casey@nickisdiapers.com within a week to claim your prize! Thank you to all who entered!

Cyber Monday Giveaway Winners

2011-11-30T11:40:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to our Giveaway Winners from Cyber Monday!

All winners have been emailed directly,
and have had their prize added to their order.

Best Bottom Shell Sets

Whitney R.
April W.
Allison F.
Sara P.
Kayla W.
Valerie M.
Cristy G.
Lindsay C.
Jennifer B.
Christian S.

Planet Wise Medium Wet Bag

Ginger B.
Steffany H.
April G.
Carmen A.
Mandie S.
Christine N.
Emily W.
Nancy B.
Kimberly C.
Sherri A.

Rockin Green Mystery Scent

Jessica R.
Amanda F.

Planet Wise Snack Set

Christy Y.
Christine C.
Alycia K.
Amy C.
Amanda A.
Iltaek R.
Lindsay A.
Julie S.
Robert R.
Sara S.

Planet Wise Sports Bag

Elizabeth S.
Paul Y.
Amanda B.
Carl W.
Cinandre J.

Planet Wise Nursing Cover

Elizabeth P.
Kelly F.
Catherine E.
Christie F.
Ryan B.

Planet Wise Pouch and Wipes Set

Dominick Z.
Lora L.
Amanda L.
Sujatha N.
Olguta A.

$100 Gift Certificate

Clent P.

Fuzz Bunz Zippered Tote Giveaway!

2011-11-30T11:00:00.000-06:00

Are you ready for your chance to win a Fuzzi Bunz Zippered Diaper Tote?!

How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)

REQUIRED ENTRIES:

Follow the Nicki’s Diaper blog publicly.

"Like" Nicki's Diapers on Facebook- Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers or #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
Tag @nicki'sdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 11/30/11 and 12/13/11. Include your order number in your entry.
Tell us your favorite way of storing dirty diapers when on the go!

GOOD LUCK!!

Black Friday Giveaway Winners

2011-11-28T09:39:00.011-06:00

Congratulations to our Giveaway Winners from Black Friday!

All winners have been emailed directly,
and have had their prize added to their order.

There's still another chance to win! Place and order today for Cyber Monday (11/28/11)
and you have a chance to win in Giveaway Round Two!

Best Bottom Shell Sets

Susan D.
Lauren G.
April W.
Han T.
Lalitree D.
Stephanie M.
Yuki T.
Corey M.
Amanda C.
Lindsay O.

Planet Wise Medium Wet Bag

Jill Ann D.
Christine D.
Emily H.
Katrina D.
Jessica S.
Nelle K.
Erinn M.
Katherine P.
Kelly Anne T.
Angelique W.

Rockin Green Mystery Scent

Sherry M.
Hillary B.

Planet Wise Snack Set

Yuka H.
Amy K.
Genevieve B.
Shelley K.
Michelle S.
Nicole Z.
Melissa B.
Heidi J.
Bryn J.
Christine H.

Planet Wise Sports Bag

Manali B.
Linda B.
Katherine L.
Jennifer H.
Natalie A.

Planet Wise Nursing Cover

Heather G.
Krystal G.
Heather K.
Sara V.
Cyrell B.

Planet Wise Pouch and Wipes Set

Whitney R.
Lynn B.
Karol Q.
Sarah B.
Tiffany M.

$100 Gift Certificate

Laura W.

Cyber Monday Deals

2011-11-27T22:54:00.000-06:00

Trouble viewing images? View online version

Visit our stores!

Nicki's Diapers
Cloth Diaper Clearance
My Swim Baby
Under My Crib

November 27th, 2011

This Monday only (11/28/11) Nicki's will have a second round of amazing discounts!
All purchases will be 10% OFF (Coupon Code: CYBER) with
more additional Freebies and Giveaways.

Many items are reduced and will be included in the additional 10% OFF!
Be sure to check our Cyber Monday Deals Category for extra special savings!



Place an order on Cyber Monday and you have a chance to win one of the items below. To qualify for the giveaway, please add your gender preference and baby weight in the Dropdown Boxes at the bottom of the checkout screen.

10x Best Bottom Set: 1 Shell, 3 Stay Dry Inserts	10x Planet Wise Snack Gift Set	5x Planet Wise Nursing Cover

2x Rockin' Green New Scent	5x Planet Wise Sport Bag	10x Planet Wise Medium Wet Bag

1x $100 Gift Certificate to Nicki's Diapers	5x Planet Wise Wipe Pouch & Set of 10 Wipes



Be sure to check out our "SALE" category for extra special savings!

35% OFF	20% OFF	10% OFF


Buy 4 Get 1 Free	Buy 2 Get 1 Free	Buy 5 Get 1 Free


Buy 6 Get 1 Free	20% OFF	FREE Infant Insert


Buy 5 Get 1 Free	15% OFF	Buy 5 Get 1 Free

	Click HERE to view a full list of Cyber Monday deals on Nicki's Diapers!
New Secret Scent

Oh Katy! Winter Sale!

2011-11-25T08:00:00.004-06:00

As ALWAYS, free shipping on ALL Pocket Diapers at Nicki's Diapers!

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIALS

2011-11-24T23:19:00.001-06:00

Trouble viewing images? View online version

Visit our stores!

Nicki's Diapers
Cloth Diaper Clearance
My Swim Baby
Under My Crib

November 25th, 2011

This Friday only (11/25/11) Nicki's will have some amazing discounts! All purchases will be
10% OFF (Coupon Code: Black) with additional Freebies and Giveaways.
Be sure to check out all the wonderful Black Friday Deals as well!



Place an order on Black Friday and you have a chance to win one of the items below. To qualify for the giveaway, please add your gender preference and baby weight in the Dropdown Boxes at the bottom of the checkout screen.

10x Best Bottom Set: 1 Shell, 3 Stay Dry Inserts	10x Planet Wise Snack Gift Set	5x Planet Wise Nursing Cover

2x Rockin' Green New Scent	5x Planet Wise Sport Bag	10x Planet Wise Small Wet Bag

1x $100 Gift Certificate to Nicki's Diapers	5x Planet Wise Wipe Pouch & Set of 10 Wipes



Be sure to check out our "SALE" category for extra special savings!

35% OFF	20% OFF	10% OFF


Buy 4 Get 1 Free	Buy 2 Get 1 Free	Buy 5 Get 1 Free


20% OFF	20% OFF	FREE Infant Insert


Buy 5 Get 1 Free	15% OFF	Buy 1 Get 1 Free

		Click HERE to view a full list of Black Friday deals on Nicki's Diapers!
New Secret Scent	Buy 6 Get 1 Free

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales!

2011-11-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

The following specials are valid Friday, November 25th-Monday, November 28th unless otherwise noted!

Rumparooz One-Size Pocket Diapers

Buy 4 or more, Get 1 FREE

Buy 8 or more, Get 2 FREE

Buy 12 or more, Get 3 FREE

Buy 20 or more, Get 4 FREE

20% off the following Bummis products:

Super Whisper Wrap - white and prints

Super Brite - white and prints

Super Snap - white and prints

Whisper Pant

Swimmi

Fabulous Wet Bags - all sizes and colours

Bio-Soft liners - small size only

Fleece Liners

Training Pants

GroVia Products

Buy 2 Get 1 FREE Newborn All-In-Ones

Buy 2 Get 1 FREE One-Size All-In-Ones

Buy 2 Get 1 FREE One-Size Shells
Buy 2 Get 1 FREE BioDiapers

November 25th ONLY
20% off all Baby K'tan Baby Carriers

10% off ALL FuzziBunz Products

15% off ALL Willow Sprout Products

Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales!

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

The following specials are valid Thursday, November 24th-Monday, November 28th!

20% off all Boba Products

35% off select Thirsties Products

2011-11-23T11:50:00.001-06:00

Are you ready for your chance to win a Charlie Banana One-Size Pocket Diaper?!

How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)

REQUIRED ENTRIES:

Follow the Nicki’s Diaper blog publicly.

"Like" Nicki's Diapers on Facebook- Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers or #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
Tag @nicki'sdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 11/23/11 and 12/6/11. Include your order number in your entry.
Tell us if you were to have your own diaper brand, what you could call it!

GOOD LUCK!!

Cuties in Cloth Contest WINNERS!!!

2011-11-21T17:21:00.003-06:00

First off, a HUGE thank-you to everyone who participated, commented and "liked" our photos! We had so much fun looking at all the adorable Cuties in Cloth! It was a HARD decision and we debated for quite some time! Here are the winners!

The Grand Prize and a $100 Gift Certificate to Nicki's Diapers goes to... Jessica Varney's Cutie, Margot! (picture #88) for promoting and spreading the word about modern cloth diapers!

The Most Creative Picture and a $100 Gift Certificate to Nicki's Diapers goes to... Chrissy Matthews' Cutie, Nevy (picture #12)

BONUS Cutie (because we just couldn't decide!) and a $50 Gift Certificate to Nicki's Diapers goes to... Leslie Turner's Cutie! (picture #39)

Winners, please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prizes!
**So sorry I originally flip flopped the pictures, I've got big time pregnancy brain right now and also timing contractions while blogging :) There are TWO $100 winners and a bonus $50 winner!!**

Lusa Organics Review and Giveaway!

2011-11-18T06:00:00.002-06:00

This morning was COLD here in Wisconsin. Not as cold as it's going to get, but cold enough that my kids' hats and mittens felt absolutely necessary. And before they head out, there's nothing better than LuSa Organics Cheek & Chin Balm to keep those cheeks from getting *too* rosy in the chilly wind. When little noses run, it also keeps the skin from getting raw due to constant wiping. Slather it on baby's chin to keep teething drool from irritating that tender skin.

When my kids get sick in the cooler weather, it's usually accompanied by mucous. Runny noses can wreak havoc on more than the respiratory tract. My kids get really rashy when they're sick, and LuSa Booty Balm is an awesome solution to any red bottom. I use it so consistently (as preventative) that the lovely smell will forever be ingrained with me as the smell of my children. It's fantastic as a skinned knee salve, cracked winter hands moisturizer, and so much more. I've even used it to treat cuts and scrapes on our dog (she was pretty beat up when we rescued her) as I knew it would be safe for her to lick and ingest!

LuSa Organics is one of my favorite companies not only because of the AWESOME products they make, but also because they're a local (to us here in Wisconsin), small family business. I want to mention that this small business is up for a BIG award -- a Best of Mothering award from Mothering.com! Please feel free to support a fantastic company by voting here: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1336047/best-of-mothering-personal-care-baby-run-off-poll It's free and easy to register, and voting closes December 2nd at 5pm (PT).

To celebrate their nomination, LuSa Organics has agreed to sponsor a giveaway for you! One jar of Booty Balm and one jar of Cheek & Chin Balm will be given to the lucky winner.

How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)

REQUIRED ENTRIES:

Follow the Nicki’s Diaper blog publicly.
"Like" Nicki's Diapers on Facebook- Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here.
"Like" Lusa Organics on Facebook and tell them Nicki's Diapers sent you!

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
Tag @nicki'sdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 11/18/11 and 12/1/11. Include your order number in your entry.
Tell us your favorite cloth diaper cream.
Tell us your favorite thing about winter weather!

GOOD LUCK!!

Cloth Diaper Accessories Kit WINNER!

2011-11-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Packing for the Hospital

2011-11-17T09:00:00.001-06:00

38 weeks pregnant with baby #3 sounds like a good time to get packed for the hospital... right?! :) My other 2 boys both came at 39 weeks so I guess I can't be putting if off any longer! The good news is I've had my regular hospital bag packed for a week now, I just needed to decide which cloth diapers and accessories to bring!

I'm planning for about 48 hours in the hospital. I know some people like to get home as soon as possible after birth, but my hospital is incredibly baby and mama friendly and it's really like a vacation being there! I openly admit that I milk it for all it's worth :) My first son was 9 pounds 11 ounces and my second was 8 pounds 5 ounces. That makes it somewhat difficult to guess the size of this baby, so I'm bringing a few options with.

It will primarily be my husband and I changing the baby and since we've already cloth diapered 2 kids, we are very comfortable using prefolds and covers for the bulk of our newborn diapers. I do realize that on occasion a nurse or a visiting grandparent may change the baby's diaper so I'm bringing along a few easier options for them, just in case!

Here is what I have stuffed into a Large Planet Wise Wet Bag:

18 XS Imagine Smart Fit Prefolds
6 XS Diaper Covers in a variety of brands
4 XS Fitted Diapers in a variety of brands
6 XS All-In-One Diapers in a variety of brands
A Small Planet Wise Wetbag stuffed with Imagine Flannel Wipes (which I will wet at the hospital)
2 Snappi Diaper Fasteners
12 fleece liners since I'm still unsure about the meconium on the diapers and circumcism care with diapers
1 small stick of CJ's BUTTer again, not sure if this will help with the meconium

My plan is to bring this bag up after the baby is born with his bag of clothing, etc. I have 2 diapers packed into my labor/delivery bag so that the first diaper to go on his tush is cloth! I had my husband decide which ones would be first, since I'm *hoping* he will be the one to put it on him! I'll post more about that with my "Cloth Diapering at the Hopsital" post at a to-be-determined date!

Even the best laid plans can sometimes fall through. I do have 2 dozen Imagine Smart Fit Size Small prefolds prepped and ready to go that any of the grandparents can bring when they visit if they little guy turns out to be not-so-little!

Did you bring your own cloth diapers to the hospital? How does my list sound? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Imagine Pocket Diaper Giveaway WINNER!

2011-11-16T17:07:00.000-06:00

Congratulations!! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!!

Giveaway! Kissaluvs Marvels One-Size All-In-Ones!

2011-11-16T07:30:00.004-06:00

Are you ready to win TWO Kissaluvs Marvels All-In-One Cloth Diapers?!

How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)

REQUIRED ENTRIES:

Follow the Nicki’s Diaper blog publicly.

"Like" Nicki's Diapers on Facebook- Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
Tag @nicki'sdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 11/16/11 and 11/28/11. Include your order number in your entry.
Tell us whether you prefer to use a sized or a one-size cloth diaper!

GOOD LUCK!!

Ergo Baby Carrier Holiday Promotion!

2011-11-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

Now through December 25th, buy ANY full price Ergo Baby Carrier (excluding Petunia Pickle Bottom), get a FREE Infant Heart to Heart Insert!

Don't forget, FREE shipping on ALL Baby Carriers at Nicki's Diapers!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Prepping Newborn Diapers

2011-11-13T09:52:00.000-06:00

Some expectant moms like to have everything ready for their baby months before they arrive. Others are running around making sure clothes and diapers are ready for baby just days before their arrival! No matter what type of "preparerer" you are, having your newborn's cloth diapers prepped and ready to go is a piece of cake!

Just like any cloth diaper, there are different prepping techniques for different types of newborn diapers. If you are using a diaper with a synthetic material like microfiber, fleece or PUL, it will need just one wash and dry before use. You may also want to wash any wetbags or cloth wipes with your load of diapers.

We suggest prepping your synthetic materials like this:

Warm or hot (not sanitize) wash with CD safe detergent
Extra rinse (any temperature)
Hang dry covers and pockets, tumble dry medium inserts

If you are using a natural fiber diaper like cotton, hemp, or bamboo, you will need to do a little more prep. These fibers have a natural oil on them that needs to be washed off and the fibers need to be broken up to reach maximum absorbency. You will want to wash and dry them 4-5 times before use. They will continue to become more absorbent even after these initial washes, though! If you're due tomorrow and you're trying to figure out how you're going to wash your diapers 5 times, along with 2 loads of baby clothes, your bath towels, and your sheets, no worries! Your cloth diaper friendly detergent is also clothes friendly! I would do your first wash with the diapers on their own, but after that you can mix the diapers with your regular laundry. You do want to avoid using any fabric softeners with your diapers, though.

We suggest prepping natural materials like this:

Warm or hot (not sanitize) wash with CD safe detergent
Extra rinse (any temperature)
Tumble dry medium- your diapers do not have to be 100% dry before your next wash, slightly damp is ok!
Repeat 3-4 more times till your diapers are nice and fluffy!

It's that easy! Once your diapers are ready to go, decide which you'd like to take to the hospital (if you decide to go that route) or get them stacked and ready for baby! Now comes the hard part... waiting for him or her to arrive! :)

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Building a Newborn Stash

2011-11-10T12:34:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the second installment in our series, Cloth Diapering From Day 1! In this post, we will discuss everything you need to start cloth diapering your baby at birth, including how many diapers you will need (and various options that work well with newborns), what accessories are "must-haves" and what accessories are "nice to have".

First, we'll start with the diapers!

How many diapers? A newborn may go through anywhere from 12-15 diapers/day! If this is your first baby, you might be floored by that number, but don't worry, you'll be a pro after just a few days! Also remember that some of those diapers will be from when baby decides it's "go" time right in the middle of a diaper change! Aren't you glad you can just toss that in the wash instead of throwing it out?! We recommend washing your cloth diapers every 2-3 days to prevent stinkies and stains. Put those 2 numbers together and to successfully cloth diaper a newborn, you will need 24-36 diapers! Remember that if you are using a system that has separate covers (like prefolds with covers or Best Bottom Diapers), you will need on average 1 cover for every 3 diapers.

What kind of diapers? This is really a personal preference and is going to depend on how much you want to invest in your newborn stash and what type of diaper you are comfortable changing. Some people like to have all of the same type of diaper, while others find that different types work best for different situations. I'm in that last group! Since one of our main reasons to cloth diaper was to save money, we like to use prefolds and covers.to make up the majority of our newborn stash since they are so cost-effective! But I'm like many of the sleep deprived moms out there, and the thought of trying to Snappi a prefold on and make sure everything is in the covers during middle of the night changes wears me out! In order to get the most use of our covers, I love using fitteds at night with them so make it just a bit more user-friendly in the dark :) I also like to have several newborn size all-in-ones or pockets on hand for those changing my baby who may not be familiar with cloth diapers, and some uber-trim Best Bottoms for light packing in my diaper bag!

So for me, an ideal newborn stash would be:
18 XS or Small Prefolds
6-8 XS or Small Diaper Covers
6 XS or Small Fitted Diapers
6 XS or Small Pockets/All-In-Ones
3 Best Bottom Shells and 9 Small Best Bottom Inserts

Other very popular options for many of our Nicki's Diapers customers for cloth diapering their newborn:
Option 1 "Economical": 36 XS or Small Prefolds, 10-12 XS or Small Diaper Covers
Option 2 "Easy": 24-36 XS or Small Pocket Diapers or All-In-Ones
Option 3 "Economical and Easy!": 9 Best Bottom Diaper Shells, 24-36 Best Bottom Diaper Inserts

Next, the accessories!

Must-haves: Besides your diapers, there are a few things that I strongly suggest you have on hand to make cloth diapering successful for you! The following things I consider "non-optional":

Dirty Diaper Storage- You will need to store the soiled diapers in either a diaper pail with a pail liner or a hanging wet bag. You can use a simple flip-top kitchen can or a pail designed specifically for cloth diapers. The most important thing to remember is to find one that allows air flow to the diapers. A tight fitting lid actually causes more odor than one that is loose fitting! Most pail liners will have either an elastic top to stretch to fit your pail, or a drawstring. I would suggest having 2 pail liners so that there is always one on the pail when washing. Another great option for dirty diaper storage is a hanging wet bag. I LOVE the Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag for several reasons. They are seam sealed so I have zero leaking of odor or moisture. They have an extra "dry" pocket for storing clean diapers and the come in a huge variety of prints to match my baby's room! My favorite thing though, is that they travel SO well! No worries about toting a diaper pail with you, just toss dirty diapers in your Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag and zip it up!
Diaper Closures- If you're using prefold or contour diapers, I strongly suggest using a Snappi or diaper pins to close the diaper under your cover. Newborn poop is notoriously runny and by making sure the diaper is on nice and snug, you'll be able to use your diaper covers many more times between washing. That means fewer covers to buy! There are many people who still like to use diaper pins, but I prefer Snappis to prevent poking myself or my baby :)
On-the-Go- Believe it or not, you WILL get out of the house those first several weeks and when you do, you'll need something to store a dirty diaper in your diaper bag. I suggest a Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag. These smaller versions of the much-loved Hanging Wet/Dry Bags are perfect for keeping a clean diaper and wipes in the front "dry" pocket, and holding in any odor or moisture in the "wet" pocket. You might even find that for quick trips, you can toss your keys and wallet into the dry pouch and leave the big diaper bag at home!
Cloth Wipes- You're using cloth diapers, why not make it even easier with cloth wipes?! 20-30 or so cloth wipes should be plenty to get you 2-3 days between washing and instead of having to have a separate garbage can next to your changing table for disposable wipes, these can be tossed right in with your diapers! You can keep your wipes dry and spray them (or baby's bottom) when changing a diaper, or you can gold them in half and store them wet in a disposable wipes container. Try your hand at making your own wet wipe solution with water, lavender oil and chamomile oil, or use a pre-made concentrate like Lusa Wipe Juice!
Cloth Diaper Friendly Detergent- You'll want to make sure to take care of your diapers and keep them nice and absorbent! Chose a detergent that is free of additives, including softeners. Many people think a baby-friendly detergent is good for cloth diapers, when in reality many of them contain ingredients that may harm your diapers. Nicki's carries a wide selection of detergents that will work beautifully on your diapers!

Nice-to-Have: If you want to make cloth diapering even EASIER, you might want to consider looking into these accessories, although I do consider them "optional".

Cloth "friendly" Diaper Cream- I say that in quotations because I really don't consider any diaper cream to be truly cloth diaper friendly. Some creams are certainly easier on your diapers and if you get a small amount on them, it won't ruin them! My favorite creams are Lusa Booty Balm (LOVE this on dry hands and faces, too!) and CJ's BUTT-er. If you are going to cloth diaper from birth, you will likely have to deal with sticky meconium poop and putting a little cream on your baby's bottom will make it easier to wipe it off. Again, I do recommend using a liner (see below!) with your CD "friendly" cream.
Liners- You can use either disposable or reusable liners to prevent diaper cream (see above!) from getting on your cloth diapers. Fleece liners can also be used to make natural fibers stay-dry. Both of my boys have been pretty sensitive to feeling wet, so I like to keep these on hand to use in our prefolds and fitted diapers.

Are you ready for your chance to win a Cloth Diapering Accessory Kit?!

How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)

REQUIRED ENTRIES:
Follow the Nicki’s Diaper blog publicly.

"Like" Nicki's Diapers on Facebook- Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
Tag @nicki'sdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 11/10/11 and 11/16/11. Include your order number in your entry.
Tell us what your essential cloth diapering accessories are!

GOOD LUCK!!

Nicki's First EVER Cuties in Cloth Contest!

2011-11-08T15:39:00.000-06:00

What parent doesn't love showing off their little one?! What better way to show them off than with a fluffy bottom?! The first ever Nicki's Cuties in Cloth Contest starts NOW! The winner will receive a $100 Nicki's Diapers Gift Certificate!

How can you enter? Now through Sunday, November 13th at 11:59pm (CST), email your favorite picture of your little one in your favorite cloth diaper to annie@nickisdiapers.com (please use subject title "Cutie in Cloth"). If you are expecting, creative entries will be accepted :) One entry per household, please!

How can you win? On Monday, November 14th the picture album will be posted and voting will open! Invite your family and friends to our "Like" our Facebook page and find your Cutie's picture in the album. Place your vote by "Liking" the picture. Most "Likes" wins! Voting closes on Sunday, November 20th at 11:59pm and winner will be posted the following day!

Be creative! A runner-up will be chosen by Nicki's Diapers Staff based on creativity! Good luck and have fun!

And since I'm not eligible, here is my Cutie In Cloth almost 2 years ago, sigh :) -Annie

Nicki's Diapers

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Thirsties Booty Love Giveaway!

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Aden & Anais Sale! Select 4-packs 25% off!

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New Imagine Flannel Wipes Prints GIVEAWAY!

The First Year Freak-Out!

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Bumkins Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!

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Imse Vimse Sales!

Sales! Sales! Sales!

Fuzzi Bunz SALE!

Boba Wrap Review and Giveaway

Pucker Up with Lusa Lip Balm!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: One-Size Diapers

Product Review: Flip Training Pants

Babykicks Organics One-Size Fitted Giveaway WINNER!

Family Cloth? Really?

Planet Wise Nursing Cover Giveaway WINNER!

Flip For You Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Sale!

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Happy Hemp Day! Babykicks Giveaway!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Fitteds and Wool

Planet Wise Nursing Cover Review and Giveway

Best Bottom Doubler and Overnight Giveaway WINNER!

Sniffle Package Sale and Giveaway!

Planet Wise Moo-licious Pail Liner Giveaway WINNER!

Thirsties Duo All-In-One Review and Giveaway

Diono Monterey Booster Seat SALE!

Product Review and Giveaway! Best Bottom Diapers Microfiber Doubler and Hemp/Organic Cotton Overnights

Planet Wise Moo-licious Pail Liner Giveaway!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Diapering More Than One Child

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Flats

Rockin' Green Products 10% OFF in January!

bumGenius! Freetime AIO WINNER!

bumGenius Freetime All-in-One One Size Diaper Review and Giveaway!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Circumcision and Cord Stump Care

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Using Prefolds on a Newborn

Planet Wise Wet Bag Giveaway WINNER!

FuzziBunz Zippered Tote WINNER!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Washing Newborn Diapers

Planet Wise Wet Bag Giveaway!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Using Cloth Diapers at the Hospital

EcoPosh One Size Fitted Diaper Review!

Charlie Banana WINNER!

LuSa Organics WINNER!

Kissaluvs Marvels One-Size All-in-Ones WINNER!

Cyber Monday Giveaway Winners

Fuzz Bunz Zippered Tote Giveaway!

Black Friday Giveaway Winners

Cyber Monday Deals

Visit our stores!

Be sure to check out our "SALE" category for extra special savings!

Oh Katy! Winter Sale!

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIALS

Visit our stores!

Be sure to check out our "SALE" category for extra special savings!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales!

Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales!

Cuties in Cloth Contest WINNERS!!!

Lusa Organics Review and Giveaway!

Cloth Diaper Accessories Kit WINNER!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Packing for the Hospital

Imagine Pocket Diaper Giveaway WINNER!

Giveaway! Kissaluvs Marvels One-Size All-In-Ones!

Ergo Baby Carrier Holiday Promotion!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Prepping Newborn Diapers

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Building a Newborn Stash

Nicki's First EVER Cuties in Cloth Contest!