Real Mom Talk: I'm glad you were born

To my princess,

I'm glad you were born. I'll admit "glad" was not the word that came to my mind the day I sat staring at those two lines as the sounds of three little boys under 18 months of age bombarded me through the bathroom door. Terrified, shocked, worn, nervous... all of these things, but not exactly glad, at least not in those early minutes. Those same emotions flooded me again the day we saw you on the ultrasound and heard you were a girl. I recall thinking, "But I KNOW how to raise boys! I'm not ready for this new challenge!"

Princess, you've taught me how to be a girl. Since you've come along, I've worn more skirts, dresses and heels than ever before in my life. It seems like nearly half my closet is now pink and purple, rather than the old blue and black. You've forced me to control my mouth, so that those inner lies about my true beauty and worth don't escape my lips to find your precious little ears. Your mere presence and the thought that my words and behaviors will shape the woman you will become have motivated me to improve myself. I'm so much more aware of the things that go in and on my body now that you've joined our family. I pray that I'm a good example to you of a healthy, strong, intelligent woman.

I love the way you encourage me to fully embrace womanhood. I look forward to Saturday afternoons when you grab the nail polish and sweetly ask, "Is it time to paint ours nails?" Then you make me choose the color, to ensure that our nails will match. Princess, I love our girl time.

For years I thought I could be content being a mom to only boys. You rocked our world in such a dramatic way; leading to new jobs, new city and a new home. It's so difficult to imagine what our life would be if not for you. I'm sure I would have been content without you, Princess, but I wouldn't be the woman I am today without you to inspire me. I'm truly glad you were born and I love being your mom.

Love, Mom (Heather)

We love using Piggy Paint for our girly manicure sessions, so we wanted to make sure it was included in our Mother's Day sale. Save $1 on all your favorite varieties of Piggy Paint Polish, Refined collection, Project Earth collection and remover.

Be sure to share with us your own "I'm glad you were born" story for your chance to win Cotton Babies gift cards worth up to $100. For details and to enter, visit this blog post.

Mother's Day Sale: 15% off select Thirsties products

In celebration of mothers, we're having a great sale all week long. Our Mother's Day category has several great items, but today, in place of our Cloth 101 feature, we'll be focusing on Thirsties, which are 15% off this week only!

Thirsties Duo Wraps are a really popular product at Cotton Babies. They are easy to use and easier on your wallet. The adjustable rise of this wrap design means one size will last twice as long. Only two sizes will cover your baby from birth all the way to potty-learning. These are great if you love using prefolds, flats or fitted cloth diapers on your little one.

Cotton Babies customer, Susan, shared this in a review:

I am new to cloth diapering and ordered the Duo because of the sizing for newborns/smaller babies and the positive reviews, plus the adjustable sizing. I can say that I just love them! No leaks, perfect fit, very adjustable on my 4 week old baby. I've used these since she was born. Very trim fit over a trifolded prefold and couldn't be easier. The velcro is soft so it won't hurt her skin. I'd buy these again in a heartbeat. The lavender is my favorite.

Thirsties Duo Wrap covers feature a double leg gusset and are available in a variety of colors and prints. You can get Thirsties Duo Wrap covers in either hook and loop or snap closures for only $10.84 this week only!

We also have several other great Thirsties products on sale this week including the sized diaper covers, Duo Diapers, pail liners and the brightly colored Thirsties Fab cloth wipes.

Mother's Day 2011: I'm glad you were born

Last year, we introduced “I'm So Glad You Were Born” as a special mother's day promotion. We were overwhelmed with the responses and really moved by your amazing stories. We loved the results so much, we just had to host this contest again. But this time, we're just going to make sure we have a big box of tissues ready for the judging session.

For those who are new to Cotton Babies or may have missed last year's contest, here the original blog post and inspiration for the contest:

Have you ever told your kids how happy you are that they were born? I was looking at my children wrestling on the couch the other day and had a melty mommy moment. Andrew has such a gentle heart. Oscar loves to laugh. Elsie is fourteen months old now and turning into a little dancing (and couch wrestling!) diva. She was such a pleasant surprise. I didn't know how much I could love another little person. Now I know. I tell my kids almost every night that God put them in my belly and that He decided that I was supposed to be their mommy. I am so glad they were born.

It's Mother's Day this weekend. As I was pondering how to have a Mother's Day promotion at Cotton Babies, I realized that I feel most rewarded as a mother when I'm talking to my kids about how much I love them. Flowers are great. Lunch is great. New clothes are great. A hug is fun... but truthfully, my heart gets the biggest thrill from that knowing nod my four-year-old has when he hears that I'm glad he was born... now that's a Mother's Day present. So, in honor of Mother's Day, I want you to write a comment on this blog post about someone little in your life (biological, adopted, foster, god-child, in-utero, in-mind or even some other status I didn't think of) and why you are glad they were born - or are going to be born. One person is going to win $100 Gift Certificate to Cotton Babies!

How to Enter:
Write one comment on this post about a child in your life using the theme "I'm So Glad You Were Born". One comment (one entry) per person. Comments should be limited to 250 words. Contest entries only please. Inappropriate or irrelevant comments will be deleted. If you have a comment about an entry, want to support a particular entry or have something else to say, feel free to leave a post on the Cotton Babies Facebook page.

Entries must be received by Sunday, May 15th (note: contest extended due to Blogger outage). A winner will be announced by Friday, May 20st. It may be sooner, but we're anticipating quite a few entries to sort through. We want enough time available to give each entry a fair review. Please be sure your e-mail address is visible to our Cotton Babies staff, winners will be notified via e-mail only.

Judging:
First, second and third place winners will be selected based on content. We are looking first at the content and quality of what you wrote. Please check your spelling and your grammar. If we have trouble deciding between two entries, we will also consider how many of the optional things (see "Extra Credit Opportunities") you did to promote the contest and your favorite baby retailer, Cotton Babies. Additional runners up will be drawn at random. For every 100 entries, 3 random winners will be drawn (i.e. 200 entries = 6 random winners; 500 entries = 15 random winners).

Extra Credit Opportunities:

• Tweet about the contest by using the #cottonbabies hashtag and linking to this post.
• Subscribe to this blog.
• Blog and encourage others to enter this contest and to shop at Cotton Babies.
• "Like" this post (below) to share it with your Facebook friends.
• Join our mailing list to receive notifications about coupons, sales and second quality merchandise exclusively available through the Cotton Babies "In The Loop" newsletter:
  
  

  Join Our Mailing List

  Email:

  
  or use this link to subscribe to the newsletter: http://bit.ly/bfl7VT
• Add a link recommending Cotton Babies to your blog using this text and image:

<a href="http://clothdiapers.blogspot.com"><img src="http://www.cottonbabies.com/images/mothersday2011/GladUWB_button180x180.gif"></a>
Please provide relevant links to your tweet, blog, social media page and forum post in your comment if you chose to complete these steps. Remember, this isn't required... and please don't harrass your friends on Facebook or Twitter to get "extra" entries. Once is good enough!

Winnings:

• 1 grand prize winner ($100 gift certificate to Cotton Babies)
• 1 second place winner ($50 gift certificate to Cotton Babies)
• 1 third place winner ($25 gift certificate to Cotton Babies)
• 3 additional runners up per 100 contest entries ($10 gift certificate to Cotton Babies)

Gift certificates will be e-mailed to the winners and can only be redeemed online through the Cotton Babies website. You must either live in the United States or have a shipping address in the United States to be eligible to win. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

Final Thoughts:
Please keep what you write and share it with your child when they are old enough to understand it. I'd love to know how you decided to do this when the time comes!

By the way, thank you for shopping with Cotton Babies and for using our brands (bumGenius, Flip, Econobum & Hemp Babies). Have a great weekend everyone!

May Day Giveaway!

Happy (belated) May Day! I'm not sure about you, but May is a busy month for our family. We have lots of events, travel and days away from home planned. May brings Mother's Day, weddings, graduations, birthdays, end of school events and more!

For today's blog giveaway, we're giving Mom (or Dad) the gift of convenience. If you haven't already seen it online, the newest addition to our Flip product lineup is the Flip Travel Pack. This pack includes two Flip covers and 18 Flip disposable inserts. At Cotton Babies, we know that life gets busy, sometimes you are away from home and sometimes a disposable option can alleviate a bit of stress. Most of us keep at least one package of Flip disposable inserts at home, just in case.

Whether you'll be traveling in May or all you really want for Mother's Day is a day off laundry duty, we have the prize for you! Today's winners will each receive a Flip Travel Pack and a Cotton Babies Cold Cup.

To enter today's blog giveaway for your chance to win one of our prize packs, leave a comment on this blog post sharing what May event you are looking forward to most. Would a Flip Travel Pack or Cotton Babies Cold Cup make that day even better? Tell us.

Eligible entries must be posted today, Tuesday, May 3, 2011. U.S. Residents only. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win. Winners will be drawn at random on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 and notified via e-mail. (Please make sure Cotton Babies staff can see your e-mail in your comment or through your Blogger profile page, please.)

Cloth Diapers 101: What is a Snappi and how do I use it?

What is a Snappi?
The Snappi is a modern, diaper fastener that has become an important cloth diapering accessory. This easy-to-use fastener replaces the diaper pin. It comes in a variety of colors and is made from a stretchable non-toxic material, which is T-shaped with 'teeth' on each end. These 'teeth' hook into the diaper fabric to ensure a snug-fitting diaper with enough natural movement for the baby.

Why would I want one?
The Snappi is a practical cloth diapering accessory, especially if you are using prefold or flat style cloth diapers, even part-time. The Snappi can be used with or without a cover, and is especially handy as your little one reaches those "in between" sizes with your favorite covers. Snappis help hold the cloth diaper in place, preventing leaks and blowouts with your folded diapers. They can help keep the diaper in place on a squirmy baby as you reach for your favorite diaper cover.

How do I use it?
When you first purchase your Snappi, you will need to stretch it before its first use. The stretching triggers the 'memory' of the Snappi to return to its original size, and in so doing, will pull the diaper together to the middle to allow for a snug fit. This is essential for the Snappi to work properly. To stretch, hold the Snappi in the center with one hand, and close to the end of the leg with the other hand. Then stretch it approximately 10 times. As you do this you should feel how the material 'softens' or gets more elastic. Follow this stretching procedure with each leg. Then your Snappi will be ready to go!

When it's time for a diaper change, make sure that the Snappi is attached securely with the following instructions. When attaching the Snappi, hold onto the solid part of the tab. Do not pull on the loops. It is important that the Snappi 'leg' being attached be stretched across the diaper before hooking it into the diaper. Snappi recommends you hook left, stretch across and hook right, then stretch down and hook center. In other words, the Snappi should go from a ‘T’ shape to a ‘Y’ shape.

Snappi recommendations and tips:

• We recommend at least 2 Snappis, so you always have one ready to go, should one get dirty. Snappis can be washed with hot, soapy water; but should not be laundered.
• Snappis should not be used longer than 6 months.
• Snappis are available in two sizes, baby and toddler. The toddler size is recommended for children 16 months and above.
• For more information and manufacturer's recommendations, please see the Snappi website.