inspired by true events

A couple of weeks ago when I [Andi] was working at the shop, two ladies came in one right after the other looking for a baby gift.

For a Mom who was not cloth diapering.

Well, let me tell you - they came to the right place! I don't know how many times I have said it already, but I'll say it again: We are not just about the cloth diapers. We are SO much more!

I was able to give both of those ladies about a dozen options to choose from that would be beneficial for a gift for a non-cloth-diapered baby.

Yup. A dozen!

So for those of you wanting to support a local business but thinking there's nothing for you here if you don't cloth diaper - think again! I'm going to give you a brief run-down on some products that just may interest you!

1. Glup Bebe St. Bernard Scarves. Need a drool bib for your sweet babe? The Glub Bebe St. Bernard scarf is a thicker terrycloth teething bib. Designed for the peak of an infant's teething stage when dribble is heaviest. It has a Velcro fastener and is made almost entirely of organic cotton. Or try our Bummis Best Ever Bibs as another option!

2. Delish Yum Bum Butter. Yum Bum Butter is a cloth diaper safe, diaper rash cream formulated with natural cocoa and shea butters, oils, and essential oils that heal diaper rash, and keep their bums baby soft. Many mamas use it for so much more than diaper rash. Eczema, psoriasis, cradle cap, cracked skin all over the body, elbows and heels all benefit from this "miracle"! You may also be interested in our Body & Baby Lotion!

3. The Pookie Toquie. Proudly made in Canada, the Pookie Toquie is a multi-functioning and fully reversible sock hat sized to fit babies 0-3 years old. With cozy fleece on one side and a cute sock style on the other, this adorable toque will keep little ones warm during Canadian winters. The unique design can be worn in countless styles, including The Executive, the Donald Trump Comb-Over, and the Princess Leia. Perfect for these chilly fall days!

4. Reusable Swim Diapers. I know, I know...I said these were gifts for NON-cloth-diapering moms. Well, you don't have to cloth diaper to use a reusable swim diaper. No other supplies are needed to successfully use these swim diapers. Simply use it instead of a disposable one and wash and re-use. Pair it up with one of our Colibri Wet Bags if you'd like!

5. The Wubbanub. Need I say more? I don't, but I will! These are adorable soothers that are hard to lose and anchors well on baby's chest. Easy for baby to grab, simple to clean...and cute to boot!

6. Knotted Statement Necklaces. Here is a perfect way to simplify your life as a hot mama -- a gorgeous accessory for you and a perfectly safe and durable chew toy for your teething babe!

7. Amber. Okay, this one is a win-win for anybody at anytime. Baltic amber teething necklaces are made for wearing (not chewing) when a baby is teething. The warmth from the skin releases the active ingredient in the Baltic amber, succinic acid. Recent scientific research has proved that succinic acid has a very positive influence on the human body. It improves immunity and the balance of acids when absorbed into the bloodstream, it stimulates the thyroid glands to help reduce drooling and soothes red inflamed cheeks. Amber's anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties are recognized by allopathic medicine as a natural analgesic, which will help to relieve teething pain and calm a baby without resorting to drugs. The skin's warmth releases healing oils from the amber, a resin, which is absorbed into the bloodstream. As some sources may tell you raw vs polished or light vs dark may work better, but we believe that is a myth. They all have the same amount of succinic acid in them. Get them in adult sizes too! Or try Hazelwood as another option as well.

8. Soother Clips. If your baby needs a soother then the last thing you want to be doing is frantically searching for the plug. This soother clip is made using waxed cotton cord knotted around raw wood beads [made from the Ash Tree in sunny Crimea, Ukraine!]. The metal clip is sturdy, yet opens easily. Once closed around some fabric the grip is impressive. Kristin has intentionally given the larger beads a larger space between the knots to allow the beads to slide, making the soother clip a bit of a toy, too. It's all about dual-purpose! We love that it can also fit around the Wubbanub nicely.

9. jChews Chocolate Bar Teether. The guilt & dairy free Chocolate Bar. 100% BPA free silicone Chocolate Bar teethers that babies really want to sink their teeth into. Jellystone Designs has created a fun way to help your baby teethe with baby’s first Chocolate Bar! All of the fun of chocolate with none of the guilt! Chocolate Bar jChews are soft on gums and ideal for teething babies. Try them in the Skateboard or Smart Phone option too!

10. Sweater Babies. Made from felted wool sweaters and filled with clean carded local organic Nova Scotia wool, these dolls are the perfect size for little hands to hold and cuddle.

11. Baby Carrier. Going in on a bigger group gift? Why not give the gift of one of our many baby carrier options. From Ring Slings to Stretchy Wraps to Woven Wraps to Structured Carriers, there's something for every budget!

12. Mini Doll Carrier. How about a gift for the older sibling of a new baby? The Boba Mini or the Chimparoo Mini Wrap or the Over the Rainbow Doll Wrap are all great options for that new Big Brother or Big Sister.

So - there you have it! A dozen baby gift ideas for the non-cloth-diapering Mama.

Krista: On Soother Clips & Cloth Diapers

Hey everyone, I'm Krista ~ mom to serious but sweet Avery who just turned 5 months. I am also a teacher and I love to sew which led me to sewing the soother clips and bibs for Tiny TreeHugger.

Pam and I have been friends for a long time (I think 8 years but I might be wrong) and in the past few months as I have starting cloth diapering, and using the things I have been making for longer than I've been a mom Pam kept telling me that I should write a blog post about different things and now I have.

I always knew it was a possibility but although I make soother clips, my daughter is not a soother user. We have tried and it's just not her thing. But of course I have several soother clips around the house because I made them for her while I was pregnant. But regardless of soother use, I would be lost (or at
least her toys would be) without them. We use them to secure her toys like her O-ball, Sophie teether as well as others to her car seat and stroller. It means they are within the grasp of her hands and she can play or chew while we are on the go without the fear of her toys going flying.

In the past couple of months Pam and I have been discussing other designs for the clips to make them "little finger proof."
You might have seen some new ones if you were at the Grand Opening. Velcro works for some babies and situations but recently I have started making them with a sewn loop on the end and others with a smaller elastic loop. With these soother clips, once you have the soother on the strap it is virtually impossible for your little one to remove. These new soother clips will be coming to the website soon!

So cloth diapers. Honestly, some days I like them a lot more than others. We are what I call “part-time” cloth diaper people. Sometimes it's 50/50 while other times it swings to as much as 80% cloth but it can also swing the other way too. Often it depends on how busy we are and sometimes after wash day it takes me a little while to get back in the swing. My stash is made up of mainly Thirsties All-in-Ones with a couple pocket diapers including AppleCheeks, AMP and Thirsties Duo Diapers. We also have a cute little AppleCheeks Swim Diaper that my daughter has been wearing all week at swimming lessons. I think after doing this for several months already I determined recently that with my AIOs  that I really need to put an extra layer in there as our daughter is a rather heavy wetter. Part of what was discouraging me from putting her in cloth is that with those she would leak and I would have to change her so often (including her clothes). But when I use an extra insert I find she can go much longer and I don't find that it makes her diapers overly bulky which is a bonus, especially when she wants to wear her skinny jeans. The AIOs are built with a tunnel so that you can easily put another layer in there. Today it was an AppleCheeks insert in a Thirsties AIO in Mango. I am pretty excited that I've found something that works for our little girl.

But part of being a part-timer is that we also use disposable. Which means we have two bins in her closet. Garbage and cloth. Formerly in our stash was a very cute white Thirsties AIO. Unfortunately about 6 weeks ago I was counting my diapers because it seemed like I was missing one and I realized the white one was missing. I think that at some point it was laying on the change table and got deposited into the wrong bin. I will never know whether it was my husband or myself, or even when it got thrown out, but I was pretty choked when I realized that it was gone. We're definitely going to stick with colours and prints from now on.

Recently I starting having a small issue with my Thirsties and Pam encouraged me to go on their website and discuss the issue with their Live Chat personnel. Pam had told me their customer support was great and I learned that for myself in a huge way. It was far faster than email and much preferable for me than phone and the customer service was fantastic. She asked me some questions about when and where I bought my diaper, the nature of my problem, she also asked about my wash routine and type of detergent. After that conversation they told me they were going to replace my affected diapers and gave me the instructions for processing the return. Great. In a later email though they did tell me the detergent I was using could possibly be the problem but they stuck to the promise they had made me that they were going to replace the diapers. I was very impressed with that. So make sure you check with the website or with Pam to make sure the laundry detergent is approved by your diaper maker because if they had determined that initially it totally could have voided my warranty. But if you do have any questions or problems with your Thirsties I would highly encourage you to pop over to their website to chat with their staff. It was definitely worth it for me.
Until next time,

Krista

Announcements, New & Restocked March 30th

Hey new blog followers!! Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by and following the Tiny TreeHugger blog. Our total is 50 and that means a GIVEAWAY soon! Keep your eye out for an announcement.

In other news:

NEW to Tiny TreeHugger
Dancing Mouse Designs Soother Clips! Krista has put together a wonderful array of soother clips. We know some of you prefer velcro and some prefer a loop and this was taken into consideration! Each clip is $5 [plus PST if you are in Manitoba!] and is made with a great fabric or ribbon print. Can be used to keep toys within reach as well. Made in Manitoba, Canada. What is YOUR favorite print?

Also restocked is Kaley's Soap Nuts in the 225g and 500g sizes. This is a natural cleaning product, great for cleaning cloth diapers, and other laundry. You can also add the small satchel of soap nuts into your cutlery tray in the dishwasher to clean your dishes or boil them in water to make a cleaning solution! More info on how to do that here.

Have you heard?

The Great Cloth Diaper Change is coming to Winnipeg! Mark your calendars for Saturday April 23rd. Help us set a Guinness World Record and change your baby into a cloth diaper at 11am CST. More details & pre-registration to come SOON. There will be swag bags for the first 30 to pre-register and many great door prizes. Please contact us if you would like to help sponsor the event.