Saturday 27 December 2008

I hope you had a Merry Christmas

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and managed to spend some wonderful time with your families.

Here is my tribe at an ungodly hour on Christmas morning.


















I had a luxurious 2 days off and I am now running a Boxing Day sale. A massive 10% off plus additional discount on any other codes you may have. I am running it till the 31st January so its a fantastic opportunity to try reusable nappies at prices below RRP.

Bibs N Bots http://www.bibsnbots.co.uk/ making reusable nappies child play!

Wednesday 17 December 2008

Choosing the right cloth nappy for you and your baby.

Choosing the right cloth nappy for you and your baby.

There are quite a few factors to consider when choosing the right option for you and your baby.

How much do you want to spend?
What nappy system do you want?
Who will use the nappies with your child?
How are you going to dry your nappies?

How much do you want to spend?

Money is a big factor in choosing a nappy system. It’s the outlay at the beginning that people are most aware of. When buying disposables people don’t realise how much they spend, as the money is spent in dribs and drabs.

Many councils run incentive schemes. These help mums and mums to be to make a small purchase of real nappies before buying in bulk. Visit your council website and see what they offer in your area. These schemes are designed to encourage people to try nappies who wouldn’t normally bother.


What nappy system do you want?

A two-part system consists of a separate ‘fitted’ or ‘flat’ nappy and a wrap (waterproof outer).

Pocket nappies have a waterproof wrap attached to a liner and a ‘pocket’ to put your inserts in. This means you can wash then in two parts but they can be put on like a disposable in one part.

An All-in-one nappy has an outer wrap that is attached to an absorbent inner nappy, either permanently sewn in or fastened in with poppers.

Who will use the nappies with your child?

You need to consider whether the nappies will be going to nursery, to grannies and grandads and most importantly whether daddy will be changing baby’s bum.

How are you going to dry your nappies?

This can heavily influence what you buy and how many nappies you have in your ‘stash’.

If you have a tumble drier this means you can basically buy many of the products on the market. If not, then you need to consider how long the nappies will take to dry either at room temperature or on the washing line.
Fabrics like bamboo can generally take longer to dry than micro fibre so make sure you ask these questions of whoever sells you your nappies.


Bibs N Bots http://www.bibsnbots.co.uk/ making reusable nappies child play!

Wednesday 10 December 2008

Why Choose Reusable Nappies?

I decide to write down what I think about why you would choose reusable nappies.....


Ok, so first, why not?

Well, I suppose people would argue that disposables are just so handy, no mess to deal with and better for nappy rash. Hmmm is that it? I seem to have run out of things to say about them!

Lets deal with those issues first then. First of all, did you know that nappy rash is actually caused by the reaction between urine and poo? So, it doesn’t actually matter what type of nappy you put your child in, if you don’t change them immediately after they have ‘soiled’ their nappy then they will be prone to nappy rash.

As for dealing with mess, well in the 2 years I have been using cloth on my son I can honestly say I have dealt with less leaks and soiled clothes than when I used disposables on my first two daughters.

I think the reason for the soiled clothes was the fit of disposables. They just are so flimsy that anything other than urine seems to fly out of the top or the leg holes, leaving a new baby with it up their back or down their legs. This then led to baby needing a full set of new clothes and a bath! So, considering this, how does that make them harder work than cloth?
So now why think about reusables?

Ok costs.

Well the obvious one is the savings. Did you know that between birth and the age of 2 and a half it will cost you around £1324.40 to keep your child in disposable nappies? This is how I worked it out.

At birth you will use approximately 10 nappies a day as you change through the night as well.

10 nappies/day @ £0.20/nappy = £2.00/day

7 days a week at 2.00 = £14.00/week

At around 3 months this may drop to 7 changes a day.

7 nappies/day @ £0.20/nappy = £1.40/day


7 days/week @ £1.40/day = £9.80/week


So in the first year with 3 months/12 weeks at £14.00/week and 40 weeks at £9.80 per week it will cost you


£168.00 + £392.00 = £560 for the first year.

£509.60 for the second year

£254.80 for half of the third year.


This is a total of £1324.40

If you bought 20 birth to potty pocket nappies; say the most expensive brand at £20 a nappy, they would set you back £400. That would save you a whopping £924.00!

If you bought sized nappies and wraps they would cost you for15 size 1 nappies and 3 wraps and 15 size 2 nappies and 3 wraps approximately £324.00. This would save you £1000.40!!

So, if ever there were a reason to switch to cloth cost would be a major factor in the decision.

An added bonus is there is a market for pre=loved nappies, so once you’ve finished with them, if they are a decent condition…then sell them on! Even better!

The environmental impact.

Did you know?Each year close to three billion disposable nappies are thrown away? This accounts for 670,000 to 750,000 tonnes of waste. Disposable nappies make up about 4 per cent of household waste and they may take up to 500 years to degrade.


I even read somewhere that if HenryVIII had been in nappies that they would still be degrading now!


If you think about it there is only so much waste we can bury in the ground and cover over. We need to start being more responsible. Even if you only used 1 cloth nappy a day in place of a disposable that would save 730 nappies going into landfill just from 1 baby! That’s a staggering amount!

What Choice of reusable nappies is there?

Well, the choice of reusable nappies out there is immense. So there is bound to be something that suits your baby.


Cloth is so soft next to your babies skin why would you choose anything else?

The different patterns and fabrics can enhance even the funkiest of outfits whilst doing a job at the same time!

As a mum that uses cloth nappies the hardest choice I have had to make with cloth nappies is which gorgeous one I am going to buy next!

There are nappies out there to suit every budget, from old fashioned terry squares to fake minky fur pockets nappies.

The picture is of Mia in a beautiful minky fur nappy in emerald colour.



Isn't washing a hassle?

I have two children in cloth nappies and I would say I washed nappies every other day. I wash them on a normal 40 degree wash then give them a cold rinse wash to remove any left over detergent.

They then go on an airer to dry as this has the most minimal amount of environmental impact and costs less than the tumble drier!

So before you run off to buy your birth to potty pack of nappies heed this....

my advice to anyone about to venture into the world of cloth nappies, is to not buy in bulk initially. There would be nothing worse than spending more than £200 on nappies that will last you till your baby potty trains then discovering that the particular brand you bought doesn't work for you!


Bibs N Bots http://www.bibsnbots.co.uk/ making reusable nappies child play!

2nd Press Release

Here is the one that went out last night. If you go onto google news and search for ‘reusable nappies’ - I come up top! How cool is that. Not sure how long that will stay up there but that is just so brilliant.

Media Release
Issued: December 2008

Parents urged to beat the crunch with real nappies

A mum from Thornton Cleveleys is urging families to slash their nappy costs by switching to reusables. Carley Brierley who runs Bibs N Bots, says that nappies are one of the biggest costs new parents face.

The average family will save around £500 by switching to cloth nappies, with savings running into thousands for couples planning more than one child.

Carley who switched to cloth nappies partly for financial reasons, has since developed a passion for cloth after discovering the huge range of easy to use and attractive options. With the arrival of her 4th baby, Mia, only 3 months ago, Carley felt inspired to turn her knowledge and passion into a business. Carley said:
“I converted to cloth nappies when my third child was about 10 weeks old. I was astonished at how easy and pleasurable reusable nappies were – with so many designs and styles to choose from. I always wanted to start my own business and I have such a passion for cloth nappies it seemed like an ideal opportunity to pass on my knowledge and hopefully encourage new mums into the world of cloth.

“I’m evangelical about the financial and environmental benefits of using cloth nappies and I love helping other parents discover just how easy it is to save hundreds of pounds each year.”

Bibs N Bots http://www.bibsnbots.co.uk/ sells a range of unusual bibs, reusable nappies, nappy covers, wool care and new baby gifts.

Carley is particularly keen to support other new mums in discovering the economic and environmental benefits of switching to reusable nappies, and she is encouraging groups and individuals to get in touch, for a chat or a demonstration of the pleasures of using reusables.

Carley is very happy to work with members of the media on case studies or credit crunch features to help illustrate the benefits of cloth.

For more information or to arrange photography contact Carley on http://www.bibsnbots.co.uk/ , email carley@bibsnbots.co.uk or phone 07795327812.

Bibs N Bots www.bibsnbots.co.uk making reusable nappies childs play!

First Press Release

Another press release went out last night. We are doing everything possible to try and get the store out there and to get the customers in....anyway....here is the first one .. as i forgot to include it in my blog. How silly is that?

Media Release
Issued: 28th November 2008

Starting a new business within a fortnight?
It’s child’s play for Carley.

The thought of starting a new business is a daunting one for most people. Not so for Carley Brierley from Thornton Cleveleys, who within the past fortnight has come up with the idea for her business, purchased stock, set up a website, successfully launched her online shop and attracted her first customer!

Bibs N Bots was borne out of a love of reusable nappies, and a recognition that with the current economic slowdown reusable nappies are making a big comeback. With the arrival of her 4th baby, Mia, only 3 months ago, Carley felt inspired to turn her knowledge and passion into a business. Carley said:
“The seed was sown over 2 years ago when I had my 3rd baby Archie. I converted to cloth nappies when he was about 10 weeks old. I just couldn’t bear the sight of the mountain of disposables going into the bin every week. I was astonished at how easy and pleasurable reusable nappies were – with so many designs and styles to choose from I couldn’t wait to get started.

“I always wanted to start my own business and I have such a passion for the gorgeousness of cloth nappies it seemed like an ideal opportunity to pass on my knowledge and hopefully encourage new mums into the world of cloth. The internet is really what has made it possible because I have no experience in running a business and I had very little cash to invest. My website cost only £20 from a company who specifically support Mum’s who work from home, and it all seems like such a wonderful solution to the work family balance that so many people struggle with.

“There has been an astonishing amount of work in setting up my business and my website, and sometimes it all gets a bit much for my daughter Mia – the sound of my typing and adding new stock to the website often sending her to sleep across my knees!”

Carley’s first customer was Cheryl McDuff from Aberdeenshire who said she was amazed to hear the shop was set up so quickly.
“I’m overdue expecting my first daughter and so to mark her official due date I did some online shopping looking for something quirky and unusual. I already use cloth nappies so Bibs N Bots immediately appealed to me, and reading about Carley on her blog was really inspirational. I bought two beautiful new bibs for my impending arrival and I’ll certainly be using Carley’s shop again in the months ahead!”

Bibs N Bots http://www.bibsnbots.co.uk/ sells a range of unusual bibs, reusable nappies, nappy covers, wool care and new baby gifts. Carley is particularly keen to support other new mums in discovering the economic and environmental benefits of switching to reusable nappies, and she is encouraging groups and individuals to get in touch, for a chat or a demonstration of the pleasures of using reusables.

For more information or to arrange photography contact Carley on http://www.bibsnbots.co.uk/ , email carley@bibsnbots.co.uk or phone 07795327812.

Bibs N Bots www.bibsnbots.co.uk making reusable nappies childs play!

Friday 5 December 2008

Northern Essence Products arrived


Oh my goodness you should just smell the gorgeousness coming from the box.
All the products have been handmade by a work at home mum with absolutely no nasties in.
The cute teddy bear baby baths are just delightful.
I was that impresses with the contents of the order I have ordered more!!!
Bibs N Bots www.bibsnbots.co.uk making reusable nappies childs play!

Monday 1 December 2008

Bumgenius

Ooooo the lovely Bumgenius nappies arrived today they are absolutely delicious. I LOVE the bamboo fitted ones, they are ever so soft. I would definately recommend them.

I am going to buy one myself and use my little Mia as the tester. Thinking about it I might even test one on Archie. It will be interesting to see how differently they perform on a little baby and a toddler. I will then do a review of them.

The Bumgenius pockets are nice as well. I always thought my favourite colour was the grasshopper but I think I have definately been won over by the butternut.

Whilst writing this I have been feeding Mia and dibbing into the Christmas tin of heroes :-o.

Its TRUE !!!!! Women CAN multi-task...lol

Bibs N Bots www.bibsnbots.co.uk making reusable nappies childs play!