Hyena Cart Stores offer much more than cloth diapers and accessories!

Handcrafted Back to School Essentials and more!

The popular online store Hyena Cart – which specializes in handcrafted products made by more than 1,000 active sellers, most of them “mompreneurs” –has expanded its offering of a variety of quality, handmade items that are just right for back-to-school shopping – such as pencil pouches, lunch bags and learning aids for use at home.

Fusion offers the Alphabet Soup Reusable Sandwich Bag, in addition to reusable snack bags, sandwich wraps and napkins. They are practical and environmentally-responsible solutions for packing school lunches.

The bags and wraps are lined with food-safe, rip-stop nylon with 100-percent cotton fabric on the outside. They can be wiped clean with a damp cloth or washed on cold and line dried. The hook and loop closures help keep food fresh until lunchtime.

The School Essentials Scooter Zippered Bag by Zoe’s Bag Boutique offers many uses, including organizing school essentials. It also makes an excellent teacher’s gift at the end of the school year.

Butterfly Pip Pack – Pencil Pouch by Alma’s Chicks is a handy way for young scholars to carry not just pencils, but also scissors, glue sticks and all other school supplies. It features a colorful cotton print back with a mesh front that reveals what’s inside. The high quality zipper and large pull make it easy to open.

The Little Buddy Child-Sized Messenger Bag pattern by Wired Up Designs includes easy-to-follow instructions with photos for making a well-designed bag for children to carry to school. The pattern includes plans for a matching pencil case. Wired Up Designs offers original purchasers of the pattern permission to sew and sell up to 50 sets of the messenger bag and pencil case when giving credit as specified to Wired Up Designs.

The Back to School Bow by Beausoleils Bows helps make the first day of school even more special for preschoolers and kindergarteners. It features a yellow ribbon with pencils and a small striped bow, blue confetti ribbon and a button in the center.

Parents can use Grimm’s Number Cards by Kiya’s Naturals at home to help their children learn their numbers and beginning math skills. These 64 beautifully illustrated cards help children count by 10s and 20s, add, and play with numbers.

The Robot Chalkboard Roll by Envy … Be Green is a convenient, portable way for young artists to create on road trips or to use for paperless homeschooling work. When the work is done, it neatly rolls up, secured by a ribbon. It comes with an eraser and two slots for storing chalk.

About Hyena Cart
Hyena Cart is an online shopping website that has grown to incorporate more than 1,000 active sellers offering a variety of natural, eco-friendly products. Most of the sellers are moms, known as “mompreneurs,” who operate their own online businesses using the Hyena Cart platform to facilitate online shopping. The most popular seller categories include cloth diapers, clothing, hand-knit items, hand-dyed yarn and toys, in addition to specialty handcrafted items for everyday giving and special occasions.

For more information about Hyena Cart, visit http://www.hyenacart.com.

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Julia Clark-The Cloth Diaper Geek in Going Green, How To's & Guides, Hyena Cart, Latest News, WAHM Resources Leave a comment

My Blossom Bottom Opens

My Blossom Bottom is a new on-line store featuring reusable/washable cloth diapers and accessories – the most brands – at least 25 – giving you lots of choices. Located in northern Colorado, we also welcome local parents/caregivers with appointments – either your home or ours. You have the opportunity to look and feel our diapers, and even try them on your baby! Our flexible return policy for expectant parents allow the return of unwashed/unworn diapers within 30 days of your baby’s birth (EDD information required at the time of order and proof of baby’s birth required with returns.) Please check our website and join our Facebook for information and updates.

We strive to give you the best customer service you deserve! Deaf parents/caregivers have the full access communication-wise with our videophone and text messaging capabilities.

Be sure to “like” us on Facebook for news, information links, and even sales! Our on-line store is www.MyBlossomBottom.com Thank you for visiting us!

Posted on September 3, 2011 by MyBlossomBottom in All In Ones, Bamboo, Cloth vs. Disposable, Contours, Covers, Diapering Accessories, Diapering Mamas, Environmental Impact, Fitteds, Fleece, Going Green, Hook and Loop, Inserts & Doublers, New Stores, One Size, Organic, Pockets, Prefolds, PUL, Retailers, Sprayers & Liners, Swim, Training Pants, Uncategorized, Wet Bags & Pail Liners, Wipes & Solution Leave a comment

7 Reusable Household Items for Your Baby

We all know how costly it can be to purchase new items for your baby; however, you may or may not already be aware of the fact that you could end up saving hundreds or perhaps even thousands of dollars each year by reusing items in your home for your baby to use.

Whether you are sick and tired of spending so much money on items for your baby that eventually end up in the garbage, or if you’re hoping to adapt to a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle, here are seven reusable household items for your baby:

1. Fruits and vegetables

If you happen to grow fruits and vegetables in your own garden, then mix them into a blender and add them into your baby’s formula. Some of the many fruits and vegetables you can combine into your baby’s formula include apples, beans, peas, peaches and much more.

Not only that, because you will have to remove any seeds from the fruits and vegetables before you feed them to your baby, you could always re-plant the seeds in your garden so they can grow back as well.

2. Margarine containers

The next time you run out of margarine, try to reuse the container so you can put any leftover baby food in the fridge. (The same goes for old glass containers as well).

3. Clothing

If you have more than one child, then instead of throwing out their used clothing why not save it for your youngest child instead? You could always ask your friends and family if they have any extra baby and/or toddler clothes lying around that they don’t use anymore as well.

4. Used wood

If you happen to be a particularly crafty and creative person, then you could always reuse old pieces of wood to build a chair, crib or even a toy for your baby to play with. However, be extra careful that the wood is clean and there are no splinters before handing it over to your child.

5. Olive oil

Believe it or not, olive oil can be used as a substitute for baby lotion, and it is actually more environmentally-friendly than those expensive baby powders, creams and lotions that could contain damaging ingredients.

6. Newspapers

The next time your baby has a little “accident” on the floor or carpet, try using pieces of old newspaper instead of paper towels to wipe up the mess.

7. Toys

If purchasing a new toy for your baby is out of the question, then try asking your friends, family, or even your neighbour if they happen to have any old toys lying around their house.

Bio: Tracy Sitchen is a veteran coupon clipper, stay at home, and aspiring writer. While she loves shopping, she loves the chase of the deal even more! She’s recently been writing about Fort Worth Zoo coupons along with Wingstop coupons over at her blog where she shares deals and discounts to help every day people save money.

Posted on May 28, 2011 by TracySitchen in Going Green, Related Lifestyle, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Cloth Diapers at Day Care

Wanting to use Cloth at Day Care and finding some resilience? Well join the club – athough awareness of cloth diapering is growing, unfortunately there are still heaps of people and organisations that refuse to embrace good old cloth! Well we’ve put together some tips that we hope will help you to approach your centre and persuade them to accept that your choice of diaper is just that, and they should respect your choices. Read more

Posted on August 19, 2010 by realnappies in Cloth Caregivers, Cloth vs. Disposable, Cost Savings, Covers, Diapering Classes, Diapering Dads, Diapering Mamas, Environmental Impact, Hook and Loop, Inserts & Doublers, Mama Cloth, New Products, Prefolds, PUL, Real Nappies, Support for Cloth Diapers, Training Pants, Wet Bags & Pail Liners 1 Comment

Miracle Diapers Is Now The Cloth Diaper Foundation

Empowering families, improving the environment.

As Miracle Diapers has grown so has the number of families they assist. In 2009, they helped over 450 babies directly, more than 100 babies through sponsorship and local distribution, and assisted other charities with the same mission as well!

To better serve those families Miracle Diapers reaccessed it’s structure and practices. They have:

New leadership with Roxanna Jolly—CEO and Lisa Johnston—Operations Manager and Board Chair
Relocated their headquarters to Katy, Texas
Restructured how they process and accept applications
Opened a retail store for fundraising
Founded a new membership program
Welcomed several new board members from the cloth diapering industry

In it’s fifth year Miracle Diapers wants to continue moving forward and has decided to take on a new name that better describes the organization and it’s mission.

Miracle Diapers is now The Cloth Diaper Foundation.

“We felt that a more appropriate name would help the community have a better understanding of who we are, as we have often been mistaken for a diaper manufacturer. Our desire to move forward and build a legacy of support for the cloth diapering community will be reflected in our new name: The Cloth Diaper Foundation.” -Roxanna Jolly, CEO, The Cloth Diaper Foundation

Monetary donations fell last year do to the economy. Which means there are more families out there for The Cloth Diaper Foundation to help! While diaper donations are always appreciated, we must be able to financially support organizational growth. Let’s make this happen together and spread the CD love. Visit http://clothdiaperfoundation.org today to find out how you can help!Beth Flumignan, Owner Cheeky Diapers, Blogger on Sew Cheeky, and Cloth Diaper Foundation Board Member

Posted on July 8, 2010 by cheekydiapers in Advocacy, Cloth Families, Diapering Dads, Diapering Mamas, Going Green, Miracle Diapers, New Stores, Real Diaper Association, Support for Cloth Diapers, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Cloth Diapers: The Answer to Many Parenting Challenges

For many families cloth diapers are shadowed in vague visions of messy dunk and swirl sessions over the toilet and sharp pins too close to their precious new baby. However this is one category of products that definitely deserves a second look and an updated vision. Not only have cloth diapers come a long way since our parents used them but they offer easy, realistic solutions to many parenting challenges.

Challenge #1: Our babies will grow up to inherit this earth and we would like to live a life of less environmental impact.

The Real Diaper Association estimates that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed in the USA every year with over 92% of these ending up in land fills. They also state, “No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years.”

These are big numbers that are easy for parents to gloss over especially when they typically see just one or two disposable diapers at a time. Let’s make these numbers a bit more personal. If your baby wears just six diapers each day to his third birthday, he will use 6,570 diapers. Most babies use closer to nine diapers each day and figuring that usage to his third birthday is 9,855 diapers.

Challenge #2: Money is tight and we need to cut costs from our daily routine.

Using the example above, the cost for 6,570 disposable diapers is $1,643 and the price tag on 9,855 disposable diapers is $2,464. You can outfit your baby for life in cloth diapers for under $500 including all the neat accessories that make cloth diapering fun and easy.

Cloth diapers make great gift registry items so family and friends can help build your cloth diaper stash. Cloth diapers can also be passed along to future siblings, cutting costs for years to come.

Challenge #3: We want to protect our children from exposure to harmful chemicals.

The Real Diaper Association reports that disposable diapers may contain traces of Dioxin. Dioxin has been banned in most countries and is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. They also state that some disposable diapers “contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP). A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.”

Cloth diapers offer parents a safe alternative to disposable diapers and potential exposure to unknown chemicals.

Challenge #4: We want the best for our baby but any parenting solution has to be quick, easy and cute.

Cloth diapers come in a wide variety of styles to fit babies of all sizes and any parenting routine. One particular style, pocket diapers, offers a stay-dry effect that virtually eliminates diaper rash. Another style, fitted diapers, is constructed in an array of fabric choices offering adorable prints and luxurious options like organic bamboo velour. With leak-proof gussets around the legs and stretchy Velcro tabs, today’s cloth diapers are just as easy to put on as disposable diapers and perform wonderfully at containing messes. Then, instead of throwing them in the trash, cloth diapers simply go through the regular washer and dryer and are ready to be used again.

KristyDeGregory is the Web Editor/Publisher of Cloth Diaper News and created this site as a way to share information between the cloth diaper market and the families that use them. Her adventure into cloth diapering started in 2005 with the birth of her son.

Posted on November 23, 2009 by CDN Admin in Cloth vs. Disposable, Environmental Impact, Going Green, Real Diaper Association 1 Comment

Knickernappies Earns Highest Green Business Certification from GenGreen

Springfield, OR – July 30, 2009 – Knickernappies has earned the Gold Certification from GenGreen. This is their highest level of honor given to businesses that adhere to strict green business standards.

Knickernappies is a cloth diaper manufacturing company located in Springfield, Oregon. All of our products are made in the USA; most are produced in Oregon. Owned by Heather Hicks for over three years, Knickernappies is now a world-wide company with over 160 retailers.

Knickernappies produces cloth diapers, including a new OneSize version that fits babies from 8 pounds to 40 pounds. We also produce a wide range of accessories from inserts to cloth nursing pads. Two of our inserts, the LoopyDo and the SuperDo, are the top-rated inserts at www.DiaperPin.com. We also distribute complementary products such as diaper sprayers and wipe solution soaps that are made in the USA.

Knickernappies is proud to recycle 100% of paper office waste, compost 100% of compostable waste, and nearly all of our packaging is reused and recyclable. Office products are made from recycled material where possible. In addition, our products are made using lean manufacturing techniques that produce almost no waste.

For information: http://www.Knickernappies.com or http://gengreenlife.com/view_profile.php?u=28325
Contact: heather@knickernappies.com
Phone: 541-543-0379

Source: Knickernappies press release

Posted on August 17, 2009 by CDN Admin in Going Green, Inserts & Doublers, Knickernappies, One Size, Pockets Leave a comment

Stink Free, yet Chemical Free: A Recipe for Natural Diaper Pail Deodorizer

When you consider the thousands of chemicals that we involuntarily breathe in daily, immerse our bodies in, slather on our skin, or ‘freshen’ a room up with, it is only natural to want to keep as many chemicals out of baby’s room and body as possible.

According to a study by the EWG*, an average of 200 chemicals, including pollutants and pesticides, are present in the cord blood of a baby’s umbilical cord at birth. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. Like it or not, chemicals are found in products, food, and even the air we breathe. After testing the chemicals found in baby’s cord blood, the EWG study showed that the majority of them were carcinogenic (cancer causing), toxic to the brain and nervous system, cause birth defects or abnormal development.

The difference between a baby and an adult being surrounded by all these chemicals is that a baby’s system is not fully developed, nor can their body process and eliminate these toxins. The skin is the body’s largest organ and has the potential to absorb many chemicals. They head right into the bloodstream when a cream or bubble bath laced with chemicals (fragrance, parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate) is slathered on or soaked in, particularly on a daily basis.

Aside from chemical-laced personal care products, are household cleaners. Many ‘air fresheners’ are bottles of chemicals. Even the ones that bear a ‘Lavender fragrance’ on the label are made up of thousands of chemicals that eventually resemble a Lavender smell.

We can reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins from our family’s lives by buying organic and natural, reading labels, educating ourselves on ingredients and their origins, and going back to the basics when it comes to household cleaners and personal care.

‘Going back to basics’ refers to using the ingredients that the earth gave us. One of the most common and effective odor eliminator is Sodium Bicarbonate, or Baking Soda. This mineral compound has been used since ancient times as a cleanser and natural deodorant. As it is edible, it works well as a cleaning agent for the teeth and mouth, and works at the other end of the spectrum as a bathtub cleaner.

Baking Soda is most commonly used to neutralize odors. Most boxes of Baking Soda live in refridgerators and freezers, used to absorb food odors. Being so effective in freshening a space, imagine the effect Baking Soda has on eliminating the smell of a diaper pail in baby’s room!

To create an effective, 100% natural diaper pail/room deodorizer, combine in a stainless or glass bowl:

2 cups Baking Soda

In a separate glass measuring cup, combine:

10 drops pure Tea Tree essential oil (acts as an antibacterial agent)
up to 1/4 cup water

Slowly pour the water/Tea Tree mixture into the baking soda and stir until you create a thick paste. Be careful not to add too much water or the soda will begin fizzing and dissolve.

Pat the thick paste into approximately 6 muffin tins lined with paper cups and let sit for up to 24 hrs, or until completely solid. Remove from muffin tin and wrap or store the ‘pucks’ in a cookie tin, away from moisture, until ready to use.

These pucks work well at the bottom of a dry diaper pail that contains a bag, behind a toilet, under a sink, or anywhere that needs some natural freshening.

Creating your own natural room freshener is a responsible way to eliminate odors in baby’s room, without having to introduce more chemicals in the house.

Guest Contributor Jen Casey is the mother of 2 children and creator of Dimpleskins Naturals baby care products. On her blog Mama Nature: Greening a New Generation she writes about her passion for natural & eco living, and ways to create a chemical-free home. She resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with her family.

*EWG Report, Body Burden 2: The Pollution in Newborns

Posted on June 22, 2009 by CDN Admin in Going Green, How To's & Guides, Wet Bags & Pail Liners 4 Comments

Got Diaper Rash?

I have recently “discovered” coconut oil-and it’s my new favorite, well, everything. You would be surprised at just how versatile it is.

I’ve used it as a cooking oil-it’s one of the safest oils to cook with because it doesn’t change chemically when exposed to high heat like olive oil does.
I’ve used it as a pre-wash scalp and conditioner-hair just drinks up the medium chain fatty acids in the coconut oil.
I’ve used it as a general moisturizer. The dry, horribly cracked skin on my hands and feet was gone after just a couple of applications.
I’ve used it as a deoderant-really. I have NO stink or sweat issues at all with a bit rubbed under the arms whilst rubbing it all over the rest of my body after a shower.
I’ve used it as a daily sunscreen. After years of searching for the answer to my daily sunscreen dilema I’ve finally found coconut oil. It has a spf of about 8 which is perfect for those everyday here and there exposures to the sun.
I’ve used it as a soap…yes, a soap. Coconut oil is antimicrobial and antifungal. Because “like dissolves like” (from Chemistry, remember?) it helps “dissolve” the oily build up on your skin that can cause odor issues.

But the real questions for the mamas is…what can coconut oil do for diaper rash? Because it is antibacterial and antifungal, melting a bit of coconut oil in your palm and spreading it on the babe’s bum after each diaper change will help stave off diaper rash! Best of all…coconut oil comes right out of cloth diapers in the wash! Get yourself a jar of high quality, organic/virgin/cold-pressed coconut oil from your local organic market and give it a try for yourself! Enjoy this all natural gift from God!

Kayla is a mama of three beautiful girls and the owner of Kayla’s Cloth Kits-home of the KCK One One Size Fits All Diaper and Colossal Sew-them-yourself diaper kits!

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Kayla Rihani ~ Kayla's Cloth Kits in Cloth Kiddos, Diaper Rash, Going Green 13 Comments

Cloth Diaper Subsidies and the Stimulus Package

What a wonderful idea! Why is this not included in the stimulus package?

I have been researching this article for a while now and have found certain municipalities in the province of Quebec, Canada offer families a monetary subsidy for those using cloth diapers on their children.

This is how it works: You purchase a minimum amount of diapers, send in a receipt and a proof that you are a resident of the participating municipality “et voila“!

The subsidies range from municipalities but most of them offer $100 when you purchase a minimum of 25 diapers. I read that even a couple of municipalities reimbursed 50% of the cloth diapers purchase, up to $200.

Contact your local representative about this “stimulus” package today!!

Nancy is the owner of Sweet Pea Diapers. The Sweet Pea One-Size is a competitively priced multi-functional cloth diaper with a two-way venting system. Nancy resides in Canada.

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Nancy ~ Sweet Pea Diapers in Advocacy, Going Green 3 Comments

1 2 3 Next »