I’d like to introduce to you, Jenn, the owner of CottonBabies and inventor of bumGenius Diapers.

First of all, tell us how many children you have and their ages. I have 3 kids – Andrew is 6. Oscar is 3 and Elsie is 4 months.

What was your biggest inspiration for your bumGenius Cloth Diaper invention? All of our products have been designed out of a need for something different. The Cotton Babies One-Size Microfiber Insert (now the bumGenius One-Size Microfiber Insert) happened one night when I was sewing some inserts up for a customer. I had a snap press in the laundry room and late one night, totally on a whim, I added a snap to the insert to try making it shorter. I still remember walking out of the laundry room, showing Jimmy the insert and asking him what he thought! He loved it and we were off and running. We both thought it made sense to design a diaper to work with our insert. The demands of a growing business and having another baby meant that it took some time for that dream to become reality. When it did though, bumGenius was born.

Can you tell us about your decision to have your products made in Egypt and what the factory is like there (working conditions, etc)? The decision to open the Egypt factory was based on the growing demand for bumGenius and to meet the international market. The majority of the diapers we distribute in the US are made in our Colorado factory. The Egypt factory was established with very deliberate intention of making sure we not only meet, but far exceed, Egyptian labor standards of living and working. Our priorities are a positive and healthy work environment.  Our staff there is happy and well-paid. They are skilled workers and are able to meet our high production standards.  We are proud of the factory that has been established there and the work we get to do with them.

Do you recommend a one size diaper for families planning on using their diapers for more than one child? The one-size fits most babes from 7-35 lbs.  The number of diapers in a stash and the quality of the care for those diapers will determine how long the overall diaper stash lasts.  We recommend a minimum of 24 diapers for one baby.  We can’t guarantee that those diapers will last through a second child, but with good care it is possible.  Our own diaper stash has been used on Oscar (now three) and is now on Elsie (four months).

What is your best tip for families just starting out in the world of cloth diapers to help them be successful? Just dive in and use your diapers!  If you have questions, call our customer service line at 888-332-2243.  We’re here to help with everything from first-time-use questions to how to wash your diapers.

What is your best tip for mothers who have a dream of starting their own business? My biggest tip for anyone would be to avoid debt. And always put your family first.

Can you tell us some of your strategies to balance your roles of mother and business owner? I bring Elsie to the office with me every day. I also try to take Fridays off so we can spend more time together as a family.

Thanks Jenn, we appreciate your time spent with us.  Keep up the good work.  Your diapers are changing the world!

Use the code BFGO811 during your checkout

Name: Kristin, Workshop Facilitator & Diaper Tester Program Leader

Number of Children and Ages: A beautiful and active daughter aged 2

A little “About Me”, Please. I love sewing and being crafty, scoring mid-century treasures on Craigslist, on-line shoe shopping, reading, watching Project Runway in all it’s glorious incarnations, The Office, breaking out of the house to see live bands, covetting my partner’s new iPod touch.  Little know fact:  I love the theme song from the Backyardigans!

Why cloth diapers for your family? With healthy options for my family always in mind- I purchased most of our cloth diapers before our daughter was born.  Our daughter Amina was born in the middle of the summer 2007 civic strike. My partner and I saw how much garbage began to pile up with her disposables so we jumped right into using the cloth diapers we had on hand.  We haven’t looked back since!  What we’ve learned from our cloth diapering journey:  It’s important to pay attention to your lifestyle and budget and choose products with a good fit to make your experience the best it can be.

Why do I love to tell folks about Cloth diapers? Using my trial-and-error experiences with cloth, I feel that I can  provide new parents and new-to-cloth parents with many ideas about how to choose the right cloth diapers and products for their families. I feel very fortunate to work alongside supportive and inspiring women in a great, nurturing environment!

What is my best tip for parents new to Cloth Diapering? Make your cloth diaper system as simple as possible and make sure it works for your family. Keep a few AIO’s or pockets in your purse or diaper bag, with a tote and some extra wipes- that way you’re never caught empty handed. You may be surprised at how little space this takes up in your bag.

Our Current Favourites: For daytime, AMP Duo or bumGenius OS Pocket stuffed with Hemp Flat Inserts.  Love, love, love hemp!  For night time or naps, a Bamboozle Bamboo with an Aristocrats wool cover or Polar Bummis cover.

Back in May, in what seemed to be the month of babies and bellies, we had the chance to meet so many fabulous new and expecting parents at the (fittingly named) Bellies to Babies Celebration.  We offered up a FREE Cloth Diapers 101 E-Course which many parents signed up for and are now well versed in the “how to” of cloth diapering.  We handed out lots of advice, showed many dads how much money they could save and how to deal with poop and showed moms how absolutely cute their sweet little babes would looked wrapped up in a cloth diaper. We also spoke to a great group of parents during our mini Cloth Diaper 101 session at the show.

We are pleased to announce that Mom-to-Be Amanda R. is the winner of our “Sign up for our Gift Registry” Contest and has won a great Cloth Diaper Starter Kit!

Amanda, we have put together a fabulous starter kit for you!

What’s in your cloth diaper starter kit?

• 2 Registrations to a Cloth Diaper 101 Workshop (in case you have a partner that needs convincing!)
• 1 AMP Duo Pocket Diaper
• 1 Organic Hemp/Cotton Flat Insert
• 1 Bamboo Fitted Diaper
• 1 Bummis Diaper Cover
• 1 Monkey Doodlez All-in-One Diaper
• 1 Wet Bag
• 6 Cloth Wipes
• Wipes Solution

Value of more than $150
Amanda, we have sent you an email.  Please contact us by June 19th at 5pm to claim your prize.  If we do not hear from you, we’ll randomly select another winner.

Thanks for playing everyone!  And enjoy your new babies!!

PS – The next show is in September.  Register now for early bird benefits!

Name: Karen, Owner of New & Green

Number of Children and Ages: 2 Girls, 2.5 and 6 months

A little “About Me”, Please: I am a lover of cooking, gardening and the ocean.  With 2 small children and the business, that means fast meals and dreams of days when I’ll be able to spend time in the kitchen again, a garden with some flowers and edibles but a lot of weeds and walks with the kids on the seawall and at the beach.  Sitting beachside and contemplating the ocean view is one of my favourite places to nurse.

Why cloth diapers for your children: When I was pregnant with our first daughter, I started to think about the parent I wanted to be.  One of the things that rung true with me was using cloth diapers.  Why – it just seemed to make sense.  And more and more sense once I started researching what diapers were made of and the effects of disposables on my children’s health and our environment.  For me I feel great that I am using reusable diapers because they are healthier, they are better for the environment and they make a rather mundane daily chore a LOT more fun!

Why do I love to tell folks about Cloth diapers? I love to teach and help people reach their goals.  I am a firm believer of the old proverb that speaks to teaching people to fish…Cloth diapers can really make a difference in a family’s life and I love showing people how to do it and watching them succeed!

What is my best tip for parents new to Cloth Diapering? Be ready to learn about diapering.  It’s okay to make mistakes and you may get a leak here and there.  There is always a solution to be found and that’s what I am here for – to help.  Cloth diapering will most likely enable you to get to know your little one better – you’ll spend a little more time at a diaper change and you’ll learn when they pee and poo.  Trust me, that’s useful!

Our Current Favourites: AMP Duo with a Hemp Insert during the day and bumGenius Organic All in One for nights.

Nice to meet you!