Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'm excited to report that Mr and Mrs IBB and little miss are headed off to la-la-land for some much-need family time. Fear not! We have lots of helpers in place to help man the helm while we are away.

Shipping
All online orders will still be shipping on our usual timing, thanks to our shipping guru Emily. Any shipping questions can be directed to her at IBBshipping@gmail.com.

Questions in General
Feel free to use the 'contact us' tab on the website. Or, post on our Facebook wall. We have dozens of folks who are on the page regularly who would love to help troubleshoot your nighttime diaper, wash routine, or help you find a fabulous new diaper you are sure to love.

Storefront
This is the one area of the store that will be unmanned while we are away. Our Brookside shop is closed Feb 13-23, and will reopen Feb 25th at 10am. I'm sorry to miss our fabulous local folks. Locals! Need something while we are away? Feel free to order online, and Emily will get it in the mail toot sweet.

Thank you all!!

 

Starting Out and Overwhelmed? Tip-toe in....

I'll often receive messages from those just starting their research. They've started reading reviews, finding information, bookmarking sites - but just don't quite know where to go from there. I empathize, as I remember that exact feeling! So many ideas, so many options, then there's the upfront expense. How can I know I'm making a good decision?

The following is how I break it down for people who come in to our store - for 1:1 consults, for 101 classes or just starting their research on their lunch break. If the following sounds a bit off-the-cuff, it is! An email reply I typed up tonight, and then realized it was high time I share this with all!

So here goes:

My favorite recommendation - start with the preloved newborn diaper rental. It gives you a chance to see how you like cloth diapering, and if you decide it isn't for you, you have just a minimal investment (even using the rental just a few weeks will already be saving you money over disposables).

If you are having a good experience (out of our hundreds of rentals, I can count on one hand those who haven't gone forward with cloth), do a trial package alongside the rental (thus ensuring you aren't left in a limbo period without enough diapers). The trial will let you test out several types and brands to see what you like best.

Then, after the rental and trial periods are up, trade in the whole thing for credit for your permanent diaper stash.

I think the best part about this^^ is that it lets you dip your toe in slowly, without having to jump in with hundreds of dollars. Each step of the way allows you to do a lot of research before making the next step. Hope that helps!

Want to do some more reading? Check out our 'help!' section, which walks you through step-by-step the usual research questions.

Want to check out the products mentioned above?
Newborn Diaper Rental
Trial Packages


 

Introducting! Newborn Diaper Rental Referral Program

You've asked, and we've listened! Introducing the Newborn Diaper Rental Referral Program! For every person who books a newborn diaper rental and mentions your name, you get a $10 gift certificate!

How it works - 

1. Have your friend mention your name in the checkout screen 'comments' section when they purchase their newborn diaper rental package.*
2. We look up your account in our system, and email you a $10 gift certificate code to the email on your account. 
3. Easy peasy! 

Rental? What Rental? Want to learn more about our Newborn Diaper Rental? Check out the product listing here. Familiar with our rental, but have some questions? FAQ page can be found here. 

Timing? Currently accepting bookings for all EDDs - from mid-February through September!

Free money! We are excited to roll this program out as a thank you who have acted as our rental program ambassadors!

To help spread the word, we have an additional goodie to throw in. Through 2/12/13, book your rental in full and you and the referrer will each receive a $10 gift certificate!

Don't have a referrer? You can still get in on the $10 for yourself. Once your rental* is booked, we'll email you the $10 gift certificate.


Some of the finer details - 

• You cannot refer yourself.
• Referral credit non-transferrable. 
• Only one credit per rental - cannot be split. 
• *Valid on the booking of: $35 reservation fees, $195 full preloved rental payment and $295 full new diaper rental payment. Any rental already reserved or paid in full ineligible for the program.
• Rentals booked prior to 2.4.13 are ineligible. Any rentals booked 2.4 or later qualify. 

 

Starting Out: What Do I Need?

The first question we get in the store from those beginning their research - just what do I need?

While it may seem there are a ton of diaper and accessory options out there, there are ways to get your horse blinders on, and funnel yourself towards just those items that will work best for you.

First, your shopping list. In other words, just what on earth do I need to make cloth diapering work for me?

There are six catagories you will consider when shopping: 

1. which diaper(s) will you use?
2. how will you store the dirty diapers until laundry time? aka storage
3. which detergent will you use? 
4. will you use cloth wipes? 
5. what will you use when baby gets a red bum? aka rash cream
6. how will you deal with poop?

Over the next blog posts we'll consider each of these six categories!

Anxious to begin your research now? Check out our 'help!' section. It takes you through your research, step-by-step. We know there are a lot of options out there, and we want to be sure you find just what will suit your family's needs best!!

AppleCheeks: The Skinny on Fit, Absorbency and More

A giant kudos to the ladies at AppleCheeks for continually reaching out to their customers, offering education on everything from supply chain and sourcing to continually updating product materials! As a retailer, it is so helpful to have these tools I can then pass along to you. They recently published two amazing visuals, which you'll find included below (to view either in more detail, click on the image and you will be taken to a zoom-able view). Also included below, my two-minute take on these diapers, as well as a short AppleCheeks shopping guide.

New to AppleCheeks? My two-minute take:

• Fit: Super-soft leg and waist elastics offer a nice fit, particularly on babies with sensitive skin or chubby legs.
• Sizing: The two-size system offers a fit from newborn through large toddler.
• Functionality: Use as an All-in-Two or Pocket.
• Customize! The shells and inserts are sold a la carte, so you can mix and match just what you need! Natural fibers, synthetics, stay-dry, bamboo, lots of absorbency? light absorbency? yup, they have it all!

Ready to give AppleCheeks a try? Here's what to purchase:

• Using as an All-in-Two? Purchase a shell + a couple of inserts (unsure on which insert you'll like best? get a 2pli and a stay-dry). This will let you see how you like using the shell back-to-back. 
• Using it as a Pocket? Purchase a shell + insert (unsure of your preferred insert? try both the stay-dry and 2pli bamboo - OR - already have a bunch of inserts? just buy the shell and stuff your favorite inside the pocket) 
• Want to dip your toe further in the water? Try a Starter Kit! This gives you a day's worth of diapers. 
• Want a full stash of AppleCheeks? Check out the Full-Time Kits! A full stash of AppleCheeks, just ready and waiting for a new home.  

Grand Opening: Raffle Winners

First, a huge thank you to our amazing vendors who contributed goodies to the raffle table! 

AppleCheeks, aden + anais, Babee Greens, Bamboobies, Boba, Blueberry & Pink Daisy, bumGenius, bummis, Eyla's Imports (Grandma El's, Jellystone, Momma Nature, Sweet Pea), GroVia, Smart Bottoms, Softbums, Sustainablebabyish, Thirsties and Woollybottoms! 

And the winners are: 

• bumGenius prize pack (three diapers, babylegs & detergent samples) - Mary Morris 
• GroVia Water Bottle - Tricia Campbell 
• Bamboobies Nursing Pads - Ali Flemming 
• Pink Daisy Momma Cloth - Jodi Butler
• Pink Daisy Momma Cloth - Christine Steman 
• Pink Daisy Nursing Pads - Courtney Kobet
• Smart Bottoms Wet Bag - Megan Mortensen
• Smart Bottoms Wet Bag - Stefanie Pastuch
• Smart Bottoms Wet Bag - Sara Clark 
• Smart Bottoms Wet Bag - Beth Harris 
• Thirsties Duo All-in-One - Lisbeth White
• Thirsties Nighttime Diapering set (Thirsties Duo Wrap, Fab Fitted & 2 Hemp Doublers) - Mary Morris 
• Smart Bottoms 3.0 One-Size All-in-One - Tina Elder
• Smart Bottoms 3.0 One-Size All-in-One - Amber Kovac
• Smart Bottoms 3.0 One-Size All-in-One - Sara Clark
• Smart Bottoms 3.0 One-Size All-in-One - Megan Mortensen
• Babee Greens Longies - Tina Lambrecht 
• AppleCheeks Little Bundle - Mindy Stewart
• Sweet Pea One-Size Cover & Grandma El's Tube - Stefanie Pastuch
• Jellystone Prize pack (Jellystone Jchew Phone & Bangle) - Jesi Jones
• GroVia Hybrid Shell + 2-pack Organic Cotton Soakers - Megan Schnitzler
• GroVia Wool Care Set (Wool Wash Bar & Lanolin Spray) - Sara Clark
• Sustainablebabyish Happy Little Cloud - Stefanie Pastuch
• Sustainablebabyish Underwoolies - Becky Baird 
• Thirsties Wipes Set (Booty Luster & Cloth Wipes) - Jesi Jones
• Woollybottoms Sampler (Wool Care Kit & Soaker) - Jodi Butler 
• Softbums Omni Pocket Diaper Pack - Tina Elder
• Softbums Echo Shell + One-Size Bamboo Insert - Kelly Moffat
• aden + anais bibs - Beth Harris

6k Fan Celebration!

So honored to have hit the 6,000 mark on Facebook. And its time to celebrate!

When? Dec 10 - 12

Where? in-store and online

What?

• Choose your own adventure! Add your freebie to your shopping cart from this page. One freebie per order. No order limit per customer. 
• Orders $59 - $88.99
• Free pair of BabyLegs
• Free one-size cover or diaper
• Free full-size CJ's BUTTer
• Free single Planet Wise Food Bag 
• Orders $89 - $158.99
• Free one-size diaper (min. value $19.95)
• Free Jellystone Jewelry item 
• Free Haba Clutch Toy
• Orders $159 - $288.99 
• Free one-size diaper (min. value $23.95) 
• Free Planet Wise Food Bag 3pk
• Free Doll Carrier
• Orders $289+
• Free baby carrier (min. value $65) 

Points Worth Noting aka Fine Print

• Newborn Diaper Rentals excluded from qualifying order total. 
• IBB picks the scent/color/closure and all that jazz. Feel free to suggest COLORS you do not wish to receive. 
• Not valid on pending or prior orders. 
• If you add multiple freebies to your order, or your order does not match the freebie total you add, we will pick ONE to include (or remove if applicable). 
• All freebies good while supplies last.