Competition Time!

Nifty Naps Competition Time

I am thrilled to announce that I have been nominated for two AusMumpreneur Awards.

The first is a Rising Star Nominee, which is judge by a panel of judges.

The second is for your favorite Eco-Friendly Business which is judge by you the people.

To celebrate I am running a competition for all Nifty Naps followers. The prize is a $60 gift voucher to be used for instocks or a custom order wth me.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Please head to http://www.connect2mumscommunity.com.au/
Join up to this wonderful community

2. click on the Favourite Eco-Friendly Tab

3. Vote for any of the participants that fall under the eco-friendly award tab

4. Email me at niftynaps@gmail.com that you have voted so I can keep track and place you on the competition list.

You dont even need to vote for me - although I would love you to!

I also would love you to like and share this post but you do not have to!

Once voting is over I will random.org the winner.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. All information given from participants is for the Connect2mums Community and to Nify Naps only.

Some news from me

The time has come………………..

A fork in the road………………….

Which way to go?

For those of you who have followed my journey you would know my dream is to be able to stay at home with my children as much as possible…..

Nifty Naps is getting too big for little old me and it takes me away from my children, which negates the reason for starting Nifty Naps in the first place. I really only see that I have two options, sell Nifty Naps or outsource a part of it.

I love supporting homemade but I just cannot physically do it anymore. I have been thinking long and hard about what to do. My son is nearly 3 years old and although my blog is nearly 2 years old I started sewing and testing behind the scenes before he was even crawling. I have spent a long time developing my pattern (with some more in the woodwork) to give it all up.

I think you know where I am heading with this but would like to advise anyway. I wish to offer both: homemade items in the way of customs, including nappies, sets and clothes. Also, affordable nappies and nappy packs that have been made with my pattern elsewhere from a factory. This means I can purely focus on the customs and have more time for my 2 boys.

A date is yet to be confirmed but a new website will be released for this change. Thank you for supporting me. It has taken me many conversations with my husband and many sleepless nights. At one point I was going to sell Nifty Naps but I have poured too much blood (yes there has been blood), sweat (definitely alot of sweat) and many tears to give it all up.

Susan xx

Are you afraid of FOE?

~Read on to find out how to care for your Covers made with FOE and why it can save you thousands~

I hear it all the time, “I don’t like FOE” or, “I do not use FOE”. FOE or fold over elastic is the edging on the covers that I sell from the ArtistryCreates pattern. Now, I can totally understand why the one factor of pilling can make one to feel like they should stay away from FOE. As we all want our ‘stash’ to be in the best of condition, right? However, I believe the positive factors that these covers can bring to your cloth nappying system far outweigh this one negative ‘issue’ and I will show you how and why it isn’t really an issue.

A lot of people I know really would like to use Cloth nappies, however the start-up costs to cloth a bub full time in the beginning is seemingly high even though it is significantly less than using disposables. They estimate you can cloth nappy a bub for about $250 for a basic cloth nappy system which can then be used on other bubs including being sold 2nd hand to recoup costs. Sorry ladies ‘Embroidered Pretties’ costs a lot more than this unfortunately. They also estimate that it costs about $2,000 to use disposables for one child for a cheaper disposable brand – that’s $4,000 for two children and $6,000 for three children– no reusing here! These figures are taken from The Australian Nappy Network website:


http://nappynetwork.org.au/sites/default/files/node/71/MCN_Brochure_General_v6.pdf.

Guess what, Nifty Nap covers can be used as part of this basic system if you wish to keep costs down, which is a big plus in my mind! For example: you really only need 2 or 3 covers per size (e.g, newborn, small, medium and large) if you wash every day or every other day as they do not need washing each time you change bubs. You can change the absorbent part at change time and reuse the same cover all day. Thus, from birth to toilet training you will only need between 8 or 12 covers all up – please visit my website for prices: http://constellationkids.com/store/2. They dry very quickly and in the Australian sun in summer they will dry in under an hour. Actually at home in the summer I sometimes forgo the cover and let bubs stay in a fitted nappy and thus less covers are required at my house thus saving me even more money. They are only really needed for naps and going out.

Some ladies I know wash the covers at each and every change time, this will make your covers look shabby faster – trust me ladies, less washing equals less pilling and did I mention less washing? They really do not need washing each time. Yep another great factor of using covers as part of your cloth nappying system – is less washing and less water used – great for your pocket and even better for the environment. The only time I wash covers is when the FOE has been touched by poo or if I have used it for a day. If you use a fitted or a prefold correctly then the chance of poo touching it is quite low – but if it does a backup cover is recommended just in case. Thus I recommend 3 covers for when they are little but when they are on solids and the poo is more formed I would recommend 2 covers.

Another way to keep your covers looking new is to not wash them in with other items that contain velcro, or if you have other covers or nappies that have velcro use a big bra bag. The times when I do wash my covers when they haven’t been touched by poo is the time I wash them in a bra bag. Otherwise all other velcro nappy shells are thrown into the bag. This isn’t too much work really – it is less work then AI2’s really as there are many more shells to contend with when using AI2’s. Washing cloth nappies in general isn’t too much work and is a common misconception – but that’s a whole other blog.

So the pilling to me isn’t really an issue compared to the thousands of dollars you can save especially since the pilling is an aesthetic issue and it doesn’t affect the performance of a cover at all. Thus there is no need to be afraid of FOE. Thank you for reading. Susan

A couple of covers with FOE:

The Nifty Nap - AI2 OSFM Booster System Explained

Good afternoon all,

As you all know I am about to release in the new year the new 'Nifty Nap' with its smaller version 'Nifty Newborn Nap' to cater for children in cloth from newborn to toilet training. They will be sold seperately and also together as a 'Your Butts Covered' pack.  

The main nappy is a one size fits most (OSFM) nappy fitting from approximately 5kgs and is an all in two nappy (AI2). Which basically means the booster system (or the absorbent part) can be removed from the shell to help with drying. It actually would have been easier for me to make the nappy a pocket nappy so I could have 2 boosters one large and one small and you can change it to which ever way you would have prefer. However, I really wanted to make an AI2 nappy as I started making AI2's almost 2 and half years go and many of my likers prefer it. This wasnt an easy task as it meant that I needed a booster to cater for a 17kg heavy wetter and also for a 5kg bub. I also have boys and I found alot of AI2 nappies did not cover my oldest adequately and he also pee'd at the front. So I needed a system which covered these 'must haves' whilst not compromising the design of the nappy. It also needed to be trim. I also didnt want an OSFM nappy being too big in the crotch area for my youngest. After many many trials with my sons I have finally worked out a new booster system to work with the OSFM Nifty Nap, it covers all of my 'must haves' and I will show you today on how it works.

There are still two parts to the system and you may find that you may never need the smallest part. It really does help for the heaviest of wetters though. You can use the smaller booster folded in half at the front for the boys or laid out flat for an all over coverage. It is really up to you and how you use it. For the smaller bubs though you really do not need it. The main booster once snapped into the nappy has 8 layers of heavy duty bamboo so is highly absorbent for most babies.

Once the main booster has been snapped into the shell the hourglass shaped booster is longer then the shell. This is deliberate. You can fold it to fit into the shell for the smaller bubs. Or you can keep it long for the older toddlers. The elastic stretches to cater for the older toddler and the booster provides adequate coverage for boys who pee at the front.

See below for a picture on how it is folded to fit into the shell for the younger smaller bub. 

The smallest boosters fits on top of the trifold if needed.

Fold the smallest booster and place at the front under the hourglass shaped booster with the elastic stretched out for the older boys.

 

Or place in the middle under the hourglass booster for girls (below).

The last picture is to show the set up for older toddlers (below).

  

Thank you.

A booster overhaul and Competition update!

Good Afternoon all,

I am just letting you all know that all nappies that are made with microfleece inners from now on will now have different boosters! I was tired of the trifold boosters and now have changed my design. So keep an eye out as I will post pictures of it soon. All bamboo velour inners will remain as trifolds at this stage.

Also, I will announce the competition winner tomorrow as tonight my in laws are over for dinner and I have no time.

Thank you

Susan

Entries so far for the Name the Naps Competiton - Closing Soon!

See Below for Entries for the Naming the Naps Competition.

Nifty OOO's - first sizing
Terrfific 2ooos or Tooo's - second sizing - Rebecca

0-TT, in my Nifty Nappy - Sharon D

"Ultimate Nifty Duo" for pack

"Nifty Newbies" for newborn size

"Nifty Bigbutts" for large size – Sharon F

So get your thinking caps on and email me or post your answers here.

Name the 2 Nifty Naps

The first is for Newborns (from 2.5kgs to 6kgs) (see picture for my bubba in one)

The second  is for bubs from 5kgs to 17kgs+ (or toilet training)

Lasty and only if you can the name for a 2 pack.

Thank you

Only 24 days left for the Competition and updates from me!

Good Morning!

I am so very happy that I am on the verge of releasing my Nifty Naps two pack! Obviously they will be sold seperately too. The only thing stopping me is that I am technically on leave and I need the names and I have no idea what to call them! So get your thinking caps on as you only have 24 days left to the end of the competition. Please see previous blog on details. You can also email me the answers too for those who wish to do this also. You have a very high chance of winning as only a couple of entries so far. In a week or two I will make a list of all the entries on my blog so you can see.

Here is a picture of my bubba boy in the small Nifty Naps Nappy. This pattern fits from 2.5kgs and has been tested currently to 5kgs with snaps to spare and plenty of rise. My son in this picture is about 3.4kgs. I love the bib, which was a gift from a lady at work and I had the material here so I decided to make a matching nappy. Her gift is organic cotton though where as my cotton panel is normal cotton. I love it!

A close up of the trimness.

I couldnt resist!

Also, some updates from me. I am currently working on 6 Christmas Nappies and 2 special sets for 2 special ladies from the Pink Ribbon Auction. The Christmas Stocking is on the 27th of November!

The Pink Ribbon sets I hope to finish in the next week.

I will start taking orders from January and please keep an eye on my website as I might list a couple of custom spots after I finish the Christmas Nappies and Auction sets. 

Thank you.