Spray Pal Black Friday Sale!

If you have been listening to our cloth diapering podcast, Cloth Diapers Made Easy, then you already know that Black Friday (along with Earth Day) is one of the very best times of the year to shop for cloth diapers. Pretty much everything is on sale at the lowest prices you'll see all year, plus you'll earn reward points and freebies with every purchase!

This year here at Spray Pal, we've surveyed our customers and based on your feedback we've decided to simplify everything and give you exactly what you want for this massive sales event. We will be rolling out all the specific details as we get closer to Thursday, but for now here's what we CAN share:

Of course all Spray Pal products will be on sale along with the many different cloth diaper brands we carry on our site. If you've been wanting to try a new brand, our starter kits are a great way to save money and get a variety of family-favorite styles to try on your baby. This is a great time to stock up on gifts for friends and family who use cloth diapers and get your holiday shopping done early! We carry a huge list of popular brands including: Thirsties, Lalabye Baby, Best Bottom, Imagine, Planet Wise, Tots Bots, Funky Fluff, Osocozy Prefolds, Bummis, and more! We also carry some great eco-friendly, natural products that don't have anything to do with cloth diapers if you want to shop for the entire family all in one spot!

Be sure to follow us on social and join our exclusive Facebook group for all the latest details as we release them!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/spraypalusa
Instagram: www.instagram.com/spraypal
Or search for our Facebook group: Spray Pal's Team Mainstream

Last stop of our 2018 #MakeClothMainstream IRL tour = final $500+ Prego Expo Phoenix Cloth Diaper Giveaway of the year!

We've been so excited to teach new parents about the benefits of cloth diapers during our #MakeClothMainstream IRL tour and we have reached our final destination - Phoenix! This is our last stop for 2018 and your final opportunity to visit with us and the great products from our fantastic sponsors: Thirsties, KangaCare, Allen's Naturally, Project Pomona, Spray Pal, Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise, Balm Baby, Tots Bots, Sloomb, and Osocozy.

Get tickets for Prego Expo Phoenix 10/20 by going here: Prego Expo Phoenix

Our #MakeClothMainstream IRL booth will be at The Prego Expo in Phoenix this weekend on October 20th! If you're local we invite you to come by, chat us up, and bring a cloth curious friend or five! Not only will we have all the tools you need to see how cloth works but we have an amazing giveaway you can enter. We'll also have some free samples you can try out at home!
If you're not local don't worry, our giveaway is open to our friends at home, too. Thanks to our sponsors Thirsties, Kanga Care - Rumparooz, Allen's Naturally, Project Pomona, Spray Pal, Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise, Balm Baby, Tots Bots, Sloomb, and Osocozy we can make this all possible!

The #MakeClothMainstream IRL Giveaway Prize Package with $500+ in goodies from Thirsties, Kanga Care - Rumparooz, Allen's Naturally, Project Pomona, Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise, Balm Baby, Tots Bots, Sloomb, Spray Pal, and Osocozy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How Does the Thirsties Natural Pocket Compare to the Original Pocket Cloth Diaper?

What's not to love about Thirsties pocket cloth diapers? The one-size diapers fit babies from 8-40 pounds, gussets hold in the messiest of messes, and the inserts are amazingly absorbent. Yet, Thirsties managed to make a good thing even better with their new Natural Pocket cloth diaper.

You may be wondering, what exactly is different about these? I love the pocket diapers, do these fit the same?
Yes, the natural pocket has the same great fit as the original Thirsties pocket diapers. They have the same waterproof outer, amazing leg gussets and 55% hemp/40% organic cotton full-size insert. You can still choose from hook and loop or snap closures and they still fit babies from 8-40 pounds. But as you can see in the photo below, the natural pocket (on top) is a bit trimmer than the original thanks to those natural fiber inserts.

Natural pocket on top, original on the bottom.

What's difference? The diaper lining and newborn insert have both been replaced with natural fibers! Thirsties natural pocket diapers are lined with organic cotton rather than the microfleece of the original pocket diapers. This is fantastic news for families who love pocket diapers but have a baby who is sensitive to synthetic materials.

Thirsties' original pocket (right) has a microfleece lining while the new natural pocket (left) is lined with organic cotton.

No more synthetic materials in the inserts either! The natural pocket boasts a 100% organic cotton newborn insert rather than the microfiber terry newborn insert of the original pocket. The only downside you may find to this change is that the organic cotton lining of the pocket is no longer "stay dry" - so if your baby has a sensitivity to moisture but NOT synthetic fibers, then you may want to stick with the original pocket. The microfleece is great for pulling the wetness into the insert and providing a "stay dry" feel against your baby's skin.

Thirsties Natural Pocket (left) with two organic cotton inserts. Original pocket (right) contains one organic cotton and one microfiber insert.

The suggested retail price of the natural pocket has increased slightly to cover the cost of the natural materials (there is $1.50 price difference).
Are you excited about the new natural pocket?
CLICK HERE to shop Thirsties products at Spray Pal and HERE to shop Spray Pal + Thirsties exclusives!

Spray Pal & #MakeClothMainstream IRL are Coming to The Prego Expo Dallas 4/22!

The Prego Expo Dallas is happening on Sunday, April 22nd, and we're so excited to be there at our #MakeClothMainstream IRL booth teaching all the families about how easy cloth diapers can be! Feel free to stop by our booth, ask any questions you may have, or come sit in the on-stage session at noon where Jen Aprea from Spray Pal will go over the ins and outs of cloth diapering.

Our booth will have products from our sponsors (Thirsties, Kanga Care - Rumparooz, Allen's Naturally, Project Pomona, Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise, Balm Baby, Tots Bots, Sloomb, Spray Pal, and Osocozy) that you can see, touch and explore. We'll be right there to answer any questions you have!
Get your Prego Expo Dallas tickets, RSVP for our Facebook event, and be sure to tell a friend.
We hope to see you there, and keep your eyes peeled for an amazing cloth diaper giveaway that you can enter whether or not you're attending beginning Monday!

Do Natural Detergents Really Work for Cloth Diapers?

As we make our way across the country with our #makeclothmainstream IRL booth educating families about the joys of cloth diapers, you can imagine that one of the most common cloth diapering questions we get asked is: "How do you wash them? Do you need to use a special detergent?" And while the technical answer is no, you don't NEED to use a special detergent on your cloth diapers as long as your detergent of choice is free of fabric softeners, there are some really valid reasons why many families do choose to use a more natural option.

Many of these questions come from parents who have started researching online and stumbled upon cloth diaper Facebook groups that troubleshoot laundry issues. The problem with joining a large cloth diapering community whose purpose is to troubleshoot issues before you actually start using cloth diapers is that you end up freaking out and anticipating that it's super difficult and challenging, but I promise it's not! It just seems like it in a group like that because everyone in there is posting their issues. No one goes into that group to share a post like I would have when I started my cloth diapering journey, which would have looked something like this:

Yes, in case you're wondering, I did in fact just post that on my personal page just to take a screenshot and delete. HA!

My point is, troubleshooting groups are simply for that. Don't go looking for trouble if you haven't already experienced issues! I would highly encourage you to test the laundry waters on your own before you do too much research. Start with whatever detergent you're using with your regular laundry, or switch to something more natural if your reason for cloth diapering is trying to eliminate harsh chemicals from being against your baby's sensitive skin. If mainstream detergent is something you prefer, that's great! But I will say, I've had people come up to me and tell me how frustrated they are when they post into a group asking for natural detergent options based on their own personal preferences and/or skin sensitivities only to have a dog pile of responses saying, "You shouldn't use natural, they won't get your diapers clean. Tide is the only thing that works." While Tide does in fact work for so many families (and again, that's great if this applies to you!) there are many families who are looking for a good nontoxic laundry alternative.

So I asked for recommendations on the Spray Pal page and we had some great responses. This post is for detergents in general:

General Laundry Tips for cloth diapers

And this post is for those looking for a more natural alternative:

Natural Detergent Tips for cloth diapers

The biggest takeaways I can offer personally are these:

1. We successfully cloth diapered both kids with natural detergents and zero issues. Here are all the brands we have used and can recommend:

• Allen's Naturally
• Molly's Suds
• Country Save
• Dropps

2. Many issues can be prevented by following these tips:

• Spray poopy diapers and super full overnight diapers with your Spray Pal diaper sprayer and shield before putting them in your pail liner.
• Do a short wash cycle first and then a full wash cycle with detergent to get them extra clean.
• If you do experience issues, talk to someone local first who will know your water better than a giant FB group.

If you ever want a somewhat smaller, less intimidating place to ask questions or troubleshoot issues, feel free to join us in The Cloth Diaper Experiment Facebook group! We hope you found this helpful. If you have any cloth diaper laundry tips you'd like to share, leave them in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!

Getting Started with Cloth Diapers: Step 3

In continuing with our "bite-sized" series on how to use cloth diapers, today we'll be talking all about how to store your diapers. This is one of those things that becomes super easy and clear once you jump in and get started with cloth, but many parents who are still in the planning stages are very curious about how this looks in real life. So watch and see how we store our clean diapers between uses as well as our dirty diapers that are waiting for wash day.

How do YOU store your cloth diapers? Leave us a comment below to let us know!

Spray Pal Down Under!

EDITED APRIL 2017 TO ADD: Every sprayer now includes a non-return valve at no extra charge!! You asked and we listened! :)

The time has finally come. After nearly a year of testing various sprayer adapters, we're launching the same great diaper sprayer that has gained massive popularity here in the USA, just with the correct fittings to easily install it on your Australian toilet! No more dunk and swish down under! No more spending extra money on liners that can damage your plumbing! The Spray Pal system makes nappy clean up so easy and mess-free, you'll be dancing in the streets telling all your friends and family how awesome cloth diapers can be...even when dealing with the poop! ;)

Cloth skeptics, beware...the cloth advocates now have one more tool up their sleeves to convince you that cloth CAN BE DONE. And easily, too. :)

We're mostly excited that we can start saying cloth nappies legitimately now!

Special bonus, when you shop on your website, your flat rate international shipping will qualify for anything else we carry on our website, so be sure to stock up on any other cloth diapers or accessories you need! Also, to make things easy, you can change the currency on our site to AU$ and it will automatically convert things for you. Happy shopping!

SHOP NOW

My Social Media "Me Time"

I wanted to share this with you this morning. A lot of times before the kids wake up (I'm not trying to say my kids are sleeping in by any means, I'm just a naturally early riser), I'll spend the quiet time just looking around on social media. It's my ME time. I sip my coffee and follow my clicking fingers down rabbit holes that often take me to some pretty interesting places.

Today I did my morning story watch on Snapchat. Lately, this is how I begin my "me time" routine. (At least, ever since I've started getting the hang of this crazy Snapchat thing I swore I'd always avoid. Totally eating my words.) I've been particularly loving watching Hillary Rushford's snaps from the Italian Riviera as it is giving me the perfect opportunity to practice my Zen as I try not to feel complete and utter jealousy and focus on the beauty that she is sharing while living vicariously through her Sabbatical.

One of her snaps this morning mentioned hopping over to Instagram to leave a comment on a post (great social media engagement tip, BTW). Dutifully, I went right over and starting scrolling through her IG feed. I went from posts showcasing beautiful scenes of the Italian Riviera down to a photo of an open page of a book that caught my eye. Clicked to learn more about said book. Clicked the book's hashtag. Found some more photos of this book, then my eye landed on a photo of three books (the original book in question plus two more) laid out on a furry rug. I clicked this photo to learn more about the new books. One was written by Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat, Pray, Love" fame (hello, crazy Sabbatical coincidence!) and the poster had tagged her. So I clicked through to her account. That's where I found this:

Do you ever go down a social media rabbit hole? I actually make it a habit, and it's surprising how much I learn. Today's rabbit hole led me from @hilaryrushford to @elizabeth_gilbert_writer and inspired a blog post. And yes, I tied it all back to #clothdiapers. 😂 Check out the blog to see how! 💕 #linkinprofile #makeclothmainstream #influence #staypositive

A photo posted by Spray Pal (@spraypal) on May 28, 2016 at 6:00am PDT

And this was the fruit of today's random clicking because it inspired me. This little graphic inspired this entire blog post. And here's the craziest thing you should know about me: I can tie PRACTICALLY ANYTHING back to cloth diapers, including an inspirational Elizabeth Gilbert quote. #talent

In the case of this quote, it struck me as the perfect mantra for anyone using cloth. You know how you'll get friends asking about your diapers on play dates? Or you'll post a photo of your baby in fluff on social media and a random Internet person will see it and ask what the diapers are all about? Well, this is your opportunity to be an influencer. Whether you're Instafamous, a blogger, or just a mom sharing a cute photo of her baby in cloth, how you respond matters. Whatever you say WILL be contagious. You may not realize it, but your response will be heard or read by many more people above and beyond the person who originally asked the question, so keep that in mind as you reply. Your play date friend may strike up a convo with another mom about it down the road. And on social media, if your account is public, many more people will read the conversation on your post than you realize. If you stay POSITIVE, it WILL be contagious!

Let's play pretend for a minute. Imagine you just posted a picture of your darling in the latest print you've obtained and someone comments with, "Wow, that diaper is adorable! I wish I could do cloth but it just seems like so much work. My friend tried it and she said she was CONSTANTLY doing laundry." :::Insert fed up non-smiling emoji here::: It looks like someone who didn't read this blog post has already been spreading their influence. But fear not! Positivity is much more powerful!

Now let me give you two sample replies, and you choose which you'd rather see be contagious. Because they both will be, no question.

Response option #1: Yeah, the diapers are super cute, but the laundry can be tiring if you let it get out of hand. It's worth it, though!

Response option #2: Yeah, aren't they cute?! I was actually nervous about the time commitment when we started with cloth, but it's been a lot easier than I expected! Just a few extra loads of laundry a week. If you ever want to give it a shot, just let me know! I'm happy to help.

Both responses are honest, right? But just that slight lean to the negative side can be very off-putting. Response #2 is only worded a little bit differently than #1, but it makes all the difference in motivating and encouraging someone who may be on the fence.

And while I am applying this quote and this concept of influence to cloth diapers, it's honestly something that applies to all areas of life. "We all have more influence than we realize" so let's choose our words accordingly.

Let's Try Something New! {$100 gift card GIVEAWAY!}

We love giveaways. We really do. And we especially love when we combine our love of giveaways with our love of spreading the word about cloth diapers to help #makeclothmainstream. So, that's why I've been wracking my brain lately trying to come up with a fun and NEW way to accomplish this!

Earlier today I went live on our Facebook page to crowd source some ideas from you, and of course, you took my crazy, hair-brained idea and refined it into something that makes sense! So, using your suggestions, here's what we came up with:

Basically, the point of this challenge is to show the general public on social media that cloth diapers can be easy, cute, and fun! You can enter as many times as you'd like (well, up to once per hour) on Instagram, Facebook, and/or Pinterest. Just share your photo, tag @spraypal, and on Instagram be sure to use the hashtags #spraypalgiveaway and #makeclothmainstream. Please note, the photo prompts do not need to be in any particular order, and if you feel like repeating any of them, go right ahead! Just keep in mind that the mission of this challenge is to show people that cloth diapering is cute, easy, and fun, so let's keep the messages in the photos nice and positive! :) Also, while you and I may understand that poop is just part of the picture when you have a baby...the general public may not want it to be a part of *your* picture if you catch my drift. ;)

YouTube video entries can only be submitted once but will earn you 10 chances to win since we know these take more time. If you're in the mood to create a video, feel free to cover any or all of the prompts we've given. Or, you can freestyle it and just talk about your cloth diapering routine in whatever way makes sense to you! You have complete creative license there, just be sure to tag Spray Pal in the description so we can show your video some love!

IMPORTANT: Once you've shared your photo or video, make sure you come back here to get your entries on the Gleam giveaway widget below! The winner will be selected there, so you MUST complete this step to have your entries counted.

Contest starts May 27, 2016 and ends on June 5, 2015 at midnight. All content (photos/videos/etc) shared must be newly posted/uploaded during the giveaway time period to be counted. This giveaway is open worldwide and the winner will receive a $100 gift card to our shop. You can use this toward any "in stock" item we carry, including our cloth diaper exclusives! Spray Pal will notify the winner within 48 hours of contest close, and the winner will then have 48 hour to reply. If the winner fails to respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below! Let the #makeclothmainstream games begin! Enter below:

Spray Pal's #makeclothmainstream Photo Challenge Giveaway!

Our Thoughts on Cloth Diapers at Mainstream Baby Expos

On May 14th and 15th I attended the New York Baby Show along with Melissa Huynh, founder of Lalabye Baby Cloth Diapers. This huge, mainstream baby expo took place right in the heart of NYC, and they claimed over 20,000 people were in attendance. I can't verify those numbers, but I can say it was definitely crowded both days. Now that I'm home and I've had some time to reflect, I have a few thoughts I'd like to share.

Huge crowds at the 2016 New York Baby Show.

1. The New York Baby Show was definitely well attended, but I was shocked by how few people knew about modern cloth diapers. Many people walking up to our booth assumed we were selling reusable swim diapers, and in fact, some people bought some Lalabye Baby diapers solely for that purpose.

When we would start to explain that they were modern reusable diapers for everyday use, we would get a very mixed reaction. We had a few looks of, "Wow, really?!" followed by more questions on how they worked. Unfortunately, I'd say the most common reaction from the surprised group was, "Oh. Nevermind." followed by a quick spin on the heels and a shuffle to the next booth.

2. Some families were actually interested in learning about cloth! For every family who walked up surprised to learn that these were not swim diapers, there was another family who walked up with an eagerness to learn. They had seen our brands listen in the show program or had seen our posts on social media and started off with, "I'm so excited you guys are here. We've been thinking about using cloth diapers, but there's just so much information out there that we were feeling overwhelmed." 

This is huge. And it's actually the reason we paid the hefty price tag to attend this event. Rather than selling, we were educating. I can't even tell you how many time I must've given the spiel on using cloth diapers. Let's put it this way. My voice was pretty much gone by Sunday afternoon. ;)

This was one of a small handful of families who came by our booth and was actually already using cloth diapers at home! They bought the Spray Pal shield on the spot to make spraying their diapers easy and mess-free.

3. We weren't the only ones to notice that there was a noticeable absence of major cloth diaper brands. 

It seems in the past few years the focus by cloth diapering brands (including ours) has been attending shows like MommyCon that cater to a more natural parenting mindset. And don't get me wrong, we still love the concept behind MommyCon and are still attending a few so we can interact with our amazing customers! But this year, after a very successful cloth diaper resource booth at the 2015 Miami's Ultimate Baby Affair, we decided to make an effort to test the waters with the more mainstream events.

We're almost ready! Time for a coffee break, but I wanted to tag and thank all of these amazing sponsors of the Mission #Makeclothmainstream booth at #MUBA2015 - @sloomb @lalabyebaby @totsbots @grovia @chgdiapers @loganandlenora @projectpomona @funkyfluff @genydiapers @applecheeksdipe @tushmate @thirstiesinc @mollyssuds @balmbaby @milkincookies @smartbottoms #spraypal

A photo posted by Spray Pal (@spraypal) on Feb 6, 2015 at 11:18am PST

Our goal is not to sell product, although it's always great when someone makes the decision to switch on the spot and buys what they need to get started. In fact, we didn't even ship anything in for this show, we just brought what we could fit in our checked bag so we would have items to demo with. Our goal is to reach families who don't already know about cloth diapers and show them that it's easier than they think. Mission accomplished, I hope!

On the other hand, the disposable diaper brands along with big box stores are always at these events in full force. I hope that by having more of a presence at events like these, we can show families that they have options when it comes to diapering, and cloth diapers don't have to be intimidating!

If you have a big baby expo taking place locally that you feel could use a little more "fluff love" and cloth education, please let us know in the comments! We'd love to check it out and help #makeclothmainstream. :)

First {MASSIVE} Spray Pal Giveaway of 2016!

Well, the holidays are over and we're long overdue for a fun giveaway around here on the Spray Pal blog! We'd like to kick off the year right with something HUGE!

How about TEN winners with over $400 worth of prizes?! Sound good? ;) It's easy to enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

We're making this one a quicky because as many of you know, we're moving our family across the nation, and packing day starts Monday! We'll leave the contest open through 11:59pm Pacific time on Sunday the 17th and we'll choose our ten winners first thing Monday morning so we can get those prizes out to you before we pack them away.

We'll also have one last BIG sale which will last for 24 hours starting on Monday. By entering this giveaway, you'll be added to this one time email list for sale details. Stay tuned for that email announcement on Monday because even if you don't win the giveaway, you'll still be able to score some GREAT DEALS on cloth diapers and accessories from our website and we'll share the deals there first. Thanks for helping us lighten the load!!

Oh, and I almost forgot!! We also have these bundles ON SALE on Amazon NOW!

Prize details:

10 random winners will be selected using Rafflecopter on Monday morning before the sale announcement. Each winner will receive a Spray Pal and a Jaq Jaq Bird wetbag which can be used to store your Spray Pal shield OR cloth diapers on the go. Winner can choose the wetbag print. Each prize is valued at $43. Open to US only this time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our Top 10 Picks for a Cloth Diaper Baby Registry

First, let us ​say,​ “Congratulations!” This is such an exciting time, and we’re excited that you’re here. You may have heard some chatter in cloth diapering groups about families being less than supportive of the decision to use cloth, or just not knowing what to buy. The good news is that there is a huge community that knows how easy it really is, and we’re here to help.

Often times family and friends just don’t realize how different cloth is these days: how well it works, how easy it is, etc. By setting up a registry you can gently nudge them in the right direction. While there are a great many cloth diaper retailers that we love, that may not be the easiest way to get to the most stuck-in-the-mud family members. Amazon.com is actually the #1 marketplace and not only do they have a great baby registry option, they also carry a wide range of cloth diapers and accessories. BabyList is another fabulous registry website which will allow you to register for any of the items below from any online retailer! We’ve compiled a short list to help show how easy cloth is, while giving helpful solutions that family members may actually be interested in buying as shower gifts.

Here are our top picks to help you get started: 

Spray Pal & Sprayer Bundle

• The first objection you may hear is about sanitation and having to deal with poopy diapers. Ease their worries with the original Spray Pal spray shield and cloth diaper sprayer. Messes will never be a worry with these two around!

Planetwise Wetbag & Pail Liner

• Wet pails for cloth diapers are dated and potentially unsafe to both baby and your diapers — and admitted we’re kind of grossed out by them too. Planetwise wetbags and pail liners are known for their wide assortment of fun prints to match any taste, and they help make cloth diapering a breeze at home and away.

GroVia Magic Stick

• One big change with cloth diapers is the type of diaper creams allowed to be use (or risk making a mess of your diapers). Traditional creams provide wetness protection and can quickly leave residues on diapers causing leaks, repelling, and even some pretty rank smells. GroVia Magic Stick is one of our absolute favorite tender bottom solutions. The ingredients are better for baby, and they're completely cloth diaper safe!

Osocozy Wipes

• You may not realize it yet, but you’ll *love* cloth wipes. They grab so more and clean better than any disposable wipe, and you’re already washing diapers so you might as well give them a try!

Thirsties All in One

• Available in one size and newborn, Thirsties All in One diapers are a favorite in this category. They are affordable and come in some lovely colors and prints, including our favorite “Ocean Life."

Rumparooz Diaper Cover

• Available in one size and newborn, Rumparooz covers are stylish and functional. Use with your favorite inserts, or put them over an old fashioned prefold!

Molly’s Suds Cloth Diaper Detergent

• There are lots of great detergents that are safe for cloth diapers, but Molly’s Suds is one of our personal favorites. This detergent is specially formulated for baby and your diapers.

Smart Sheep Dryer Balls

• Premium wool dryer balls will soften your laundry without the harsh chemicals found in traditional softeners — plus they can drastically decrease dry time. What’s not to love?

Line Drying Octopus

• “Line” dry your diaper covers anywhere with this adorable octopus. Line drying (vs) machine can help extend the life of your covers — especially if you favor hook & loop closures.

Bamboobies

• So these may not be for baby’s bum, but they are cloth and washable… and they rock! You’ll love these absorbent but discrete breast pads.

Have a tip or favorite item that we've missed? Let us know below!

Cute and Funky Baby Clothes for Babies in Cloth Diapers

Just because your little one is wearing cloth diapers doesn’t mean your babe can’t be fashionable. As a cloth diapering mom, I know that finding trendy baby clothes that fit over cloth diapers can be a bit of a challenge. But don’t let it stop you from trying out cloth diapers!

Here are some of my tips and ideas AND a giveaway to bring funkiness back to your cloth diapered baby’s closet:

1. Ask Other Cloth Diapering Moms

Knowing other moms who cloth diaper, both online and offline, has been a blessing in more ways than one. It’s pretty easy to find groups online to talk cloth diapers, but real, live, local moms can be more of a challenge. I’d recommend checking with your local cloth diaper retailer to see if they offer a cloth diapering 101 class. Even if you already know the ropes with cloth diapering, you can always share ideas and even swap clothes that work with cloth as your kids grow out of them with other cloth diapering moms!

Most of the other moms face similar issues when looking for clothes and are more than happy to let you know where to go shopping for your little one. If you’re looking for a great online group to discuss cloth diapers, you can request to join the #makeclothmainstream group HERE.

2. Try stretchy leggings or Project Pomona jeans

Depending on what cloth diaper you’re using and the thickness of the inserts you use, you can try the next pants size up for your baby and see if it fits over the fluff. However, this may mean that pants end up fitting a bit longer in the legs.

Luckily, there are some great options out there that actually fit perfectly over bulkier diapers. Leggings are becoming more and more popular and trendy for babies, and they easily and comfortably stretch over cloth diapers. We've found some really adorable leggings at a local store called SEED People's Market made by Pact.  There are also lots of cute pairs available on Etsy.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Cute and funky leggings made by Pact work perfectly over cloth diapers[/caption]

Project Pomona is a line of clothing made specifically to fit over cloth diapers so that your little one doesn’t have to sacrifice fashion for a fluffy bum. Designed by a cloth diapering mom, these pants and shorts are the perfect pairing with a cloth diaper and a cute top!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Project Pomona jeans are designed to fit comfortably over cloth diapers. Paired here with a Lalabye Baby diaper in Ahoy, a #makeclothmainstream shirt, and Freshly Picked moccasins.[/caption]

 

3. Use the cloth diapers as part of the outfit

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Sloomb fitteds and wool are adorable inside and out. Paired here with a souvenir shirt from VooDoo Doughnuts in Portland and a pair of Freshly Picked moccs.[/caption]

One of the many benefits of cloth diapers is that they are way cuter than disposables, so you can save a ton on clothes and just show off that fluff as part of your outfit!  Sloomb has an entire line of products that are adorable and stylish as well as funcional.  They offer a natural alternative to cloth diapers with covers made from wool.  Not only are fitteds with wool stylish, but the breathe well and absorb a ton, so they make a great overnight option as well.

Many moms have found cute nautical shirts that pair perfectly with a BumGenius Jules or Lalabye Baby Ahoy diaper. You can pair bright, sunny solid colored diapers with your favorite phrase on a t-shirt. I’ve seen “You are my sunshine” shirts paired with bright yellow diapers, for example. With all the prints and colors available in cloth diapers, it’s easy to match to your favorite shirt or dress! We've even started a hashtag to share these cute cloth diaper outfits.  Just tag #cdootd (Cloth Diaper Outfit of the Day) to share your babe's latest ensemble or to get ideas from other moms!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Another sweet #cdootd with a Z Creationz fitted, Sloomb wool cover, Happy Camper t-shirt from a local store called Milk and Honey Baby, and Freshly Picked moccs.[/caption]

Another great find if you go this route are Rock a Thigh baby socks. If it starts to cool off, or you’re babywearing outside and you want some leg coverage without the pants, these cute socks with the leggings attached will keep those little feet stylin’ and cozy!

4. Add the Funkiness in with Accessories

Finally, you can always sprinkle in the cuteness and funkiness with accessories, and there are so many options! We love Wild & Free Clothing’s adorable baby-sized infinity scarves and Freshly Picked moccs to keep things funky and original. Bandana bibs are becoming more popular as well. We love Poncho Baby’s cute, muslin bandana bib (pictured below on mini Spray Pal 2.0).  Another favorite with cloth diapering parents is amber jewelry. Whether it’s a teething necklace, anklet or bracelet, it definitely adds flair to your little one’s style!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Our mini Spray Pal 2.0 loves his adorable muslin bandana bib from Poncho Baby! These are also available in organic muslin.[/caption]

What are some of your favorite styles, brands or accessories that work well with your cloth diapered babes?  Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for you chance to win some of the adorable items discussed in this blog post!



Disclaimer:  I was not compensated to write this post.  A few of the brands mentioned provided my son with free samples of their products, but most I bought myself.  All opinions are honest and are my own. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why Small Business is Hard

...and other musings about small businesses and internet drama.

Apparently while I was off teaching in the land of second grade yesterday, something was happening in the world of Facebook that I became aware of via text messages from friends.  I wasn't able to follow much of it or address any of the comments in real time, but that was probably for the best.  Instead of getting heated and wrapped up in it all, I was able to let things sink in, try to understand the facts, and then decide whether or not I wanted to respond.  I went back and forth about it because I'm absolutely against anything drama or "mommy war" related, and I didn't want to add fuel to the fire by saying something.  But, I did learn some things.  Like A LOT of things.  So I'm going to focus on those things in this blog post, and by sharing, maybe others will learn a thing or two as well.

1.  What I learned about running a business.

As most of you know, my husband and I are not business people.  We somehow in the grand scheme of this crazy game called life ended up creating the Spray Pal and are now business owners, but wow, the things we are still learning each day would amaze you.  In this situation, I learned that competition is something every good business should have.  You know why?  Because it means your idea is actually good!  And useful!  If your product isn't truly a helpful tool, then it won't succeed. It also motivates us to do better. As a business, we will continue to provide our customers with the best product and the best customer service we can give. We will listen to feedback from our customers and do the best we can to adapt. Luckily, we took the time in the beginning of this process to experiment with many different prototypes, and being Spray Pal users ourselves, we know that it works amazingly well. :)

2.  What I learned about collaboration.

One of the most amazing things I've found in the cloth diapering community is that for the most part, everyone is open and willing to work together for the greater good.  As Spray Pal, we've worked hard as a business to not just promote ourselves, but to promote cloth diapering to the masses.  We've worked together with other brands to promote each other and boost each other up because how does that expression go?  A rising tide floats all ships??  Gah, I have to look it up.  But you get the idea.  If we work together as a community to show people that cloth diapers are not as hard as people think, plus they are eco-friendly, economical, and cute, then everyone in the business community benefits right along with our fluffy bummed babes and our landfills (and wallets).

 

3.  What I learned about social media.

If you've been following Spray Pal for a while, you already know that this is a whole new world for me.  I've been working hard to learn the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and most of my education comes from you all!  I love the amazing and supportive community we have on our Spray Pal social media pages.  Especially when I see what can happen when things get out of hand.  I think Ron Burgundy said it best:


Basically, when it comes to the internet, it becomes very easy to forget that there are real people behind the screen.  The same is true for a business, especially those of the small variety.  We are real people behind the brands and we are eventually going to see all of these comments.  Add to that the fact that it's really hard to read a person's tone through a typed message, and you have a recipe for disaster, and things WILL escalate quickly.  I personally think a very good rule of thumb as a brand is: Do not get involved in social media drama unless you are directly addressed.

4.  What I learned about people in general.

I've always said, always, that we have the most amazing and loyal Facebook following.  You guys respond to my questions, love on my family, share your rave reviews of the Spray Pal on our wall, and tag us in adorable pictures of your cloth diapered little ones.  I get messages from complete strangers thanking us for coming up with the Spray Pal because it 1) kept them going with cloth diapers when they were about to give up, 2) got their husbands on board with spraying dirty diapers, 3) helped them convince their naysaying friends or family that the dirty part of cloth diapering could be taken care of in one simple step.  I will take one day of a negative social media experience any time to have what we have with you all.  People in general are good.  The negative nellies are gonna negate.  But luckily, they are in the minority.  And we have the option not to feed into them.  I really liked what Kim Rosas said on the Dirty Diaper Laundry Facebook page:

"If you love something- support it. If you don't love it, don't buy it.
Vote with your dollars and spread the word about the brands you love, those things do the most good."

This is so true. And we realize that those of you who already support the Spray Pal brand do so because you probably already own a Spray Pal.  But if you'd like a way to show support without having to spend a dime, you can always take a moment to leave us a review here: Spray Pal on Amazon. It will let you leave a review even if you purchased your Spray Pal from a cloth diaper retailer other than amazon. We truly appreciate it!

So keep on keeping on, you amazing Spray Pal fans, you!  And keep spreading the cloth diapering love while you're at it.  We're truly on a mission to #makeclothmainstream and we won't let one crazy day get in our way. ;)