Item of the Week

Zero 2 Nine Cotton Leisure Bra - 50% OFF!!!! Now only $7.49! All "Items of the Week" run from Wednesday to Wednesday.

Wednesday is DOUBLE DEAL DAY!!

Nicki's March Mom of the Month

Name: Sharel Nelson Hometown: Madison, WI (born and raised) Occupation: currently a stay at home mom and daycare provider after teaching in the Madison schools for 15 years Children: 3, Conrad 9, Riley 6 1/2 and Clara 15 months How you decided to Cloth Diaper? There was never really a thought to do anything else :) It seemed like the right thing to do and it was what I was most familiar with. What types of cloth diapers do you use? Nicki's micro inserts w/ Wonder warps and Best Bottoms, DryBees Pocket diapers and GroBaby biodegradable soaker pads with both wraps What is your favorite cloth diaper and why? I like the Wonder Wraps but LOVE Best Bottoms! Both are adjustable (a plus) but the Best Bottoms wipe up a bit easier between washings What is your favorite non-mommy related activity or hobby? I love to catch 30 minutes on our elliptical singing out loud to tunes on my I-Pod. Meeting girlfriends at some of our wonderful coffee shops is a treat I try to indulge in as well. If I can squeeze in a few free minutes I love to try my hand at photography for homemade cards. Most of what I do, I do with our kiddos. We love to roller blading, ice skating, sledding, swimming, biking, hiking, boating, taking the dogs to the dog park, crafts, etc.

What type of music do you play in the car when you don't have your children? I listen to the same with kids as without kids, only louder. We have an eclectic mix of Joss Stone, Bob Marley, Nitty Gritty Dirt band, Jimmy Buffet and Peter, Paul and Mary

What would you tell someone who is just starting out? Try a few different styles, don't commit to one right out of the gate, be flexible. Take your time to get on a schedule for washing and ask lots of questions of friends who CD and of the great staff at Nicki's. Anything else we should know about you? I love the products at Nicki's and am so glad you have a West Madison store :) I am addicted to the Planet Wise wet/dry bags. Everyone in the family now has one for swimming season--ONE bag for wet and dry stuff, yeah!

I am a baby wearer through and through! I wear my 15 month old daily, and have since she was little. With older brothers we are on the go. I have a Moby, Maya ring sling, Kangaroo Pouch, Ergo and Kelty framed backpack. Other swim team families were always curious to see which one she would be in during the summer meets. She napped and watched in them, allowing me to be there to see her brother swim in every event. I wear the 9 month old I care for as well. I am proof that you can teach an "old mommy" new tricks. I am trying so many new and different things this time around than when I had our 1st two kiddos, 9 and almost 7 years ago. With three kids I want to accomplish several things through cloth diapering: save some money, limit our footprint on the environment and add to my daughter's health (lessening diaper rash and exposure to disposable diaper gels). I also LOVE hanging our clothes on the line to dry and the diapers only add 1-2 more loads a week. I love when people say, "you're using cloth?" it gives me the opportunity to talk a little about the great benefits and easy usability. I also get to talk about Nicki's Diapers:)

LuSa Organics: Great ingredients, great products!

When I brought my first son home, I was armed with all the soap and goop the hospital sent home. I am an ingredient label reader, and after a week or so thought to look at what I was slathering on my precious baby's skin. Turns out there are a LOT of chemicals in most baby products. Ew! I started looking for alternatives and discovered an amazing LOCAL company: LuSa Organics! A family-run business, LuSa strives to be as natural as possible. Their products are decadent with zero guilt. The first product I tried was the Booty Balm. What a difference it made! I remember one time in particular my oldest decided that he LOVED diced tomatoes....and my husband realized far too late that so much of such an acidic food probably wasn't the best...unfortunately poor baby ended up looking like a very grouchy baboon. We slathered him liberally with the Booty Balm and it seemed to help him feel better almost instantly. We've used it many, many times since and it has never failed to impress and heal our little ones' bums quickly. I also use the Baby Wipe Juice (Diaper Wipe Concentrate) for my cloth wipes. I add a small amount to one of those handy spritzer bottles the hospital sends home for mamas, fill with water, and spray the wipes as needed. I've also added it to a tub and kept damp wipes that way, but the bottle method works better for us. The wipes smell great, clean and fresh. Seems like the solution is soothing and moisturizing, too. I tried the Sleeping Potion on my older son last night, and it smells DIVINE. Very calming, relaxing scent. I'm sure the aromatherapy helped, he seemed to sleep less fitfully! The last product I've used is the Labor Massage Oil. I was lucky enough to have a massage therapist on hand for my youngest son's birth, and she used the oil on my neck and shoulders during labor. The aromatherapy was amazing -- so calming and empowering. I loved it, and will recommend it to any mom-to-be. The massage certainly didn't hurt, but the oil was a definite bonus.

Item of the Week

Bumkins All In One Diaper over 10% off! Now only $15.90 - $14.90!

CELEBRATE DR. SEUSS'S BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 2nd!!!! Bumkins All In One Diapers: Celebrate Dr. Seuss!! All "Items of the Week" run from Wednesday to Wednesday.

Wednesday is DOUBLE DEAL DAY!!

February 25th-March 3rd Weekly Giveaway

The Thirsties Duo Diaper is a two-piece diapering system that has an absorbent insert and a waterproof sleeve diaper. Only 2 sizes are needed to diaper your baby from birth to potty training! One-size diapers are usually too big on the average newborn and too small for most toddlers over 2. So they aren't actually one size after all. You will probably need a different diaper for your newborn and another for your toddler. But the Thirsties Duo Diaper comes in 2 sizes that will truly take your baby from newborn to potty!

Thirsties Duo Diapers have an adjustable rise so they will fit whether your baby is tall or short, thin or chunky. The Thirsties Duo Diaper also has leg gussets that will keep those messes contained. It is made of a completely waterproof fabric that is breathable, pliable, and very comfortable. The soft microfleece liner on the inside protects your baby's skin from wetness.

The Thirsties Duo Diaper has a sleeve design which means there is an opening on both sides. This makes it easy to stuff and also easy to clean. You don't need to remove the soiled inserts when washing. Just toss the dirty Thirsties Duo Diaper in the laundry and the insert will agitate free from the diaper in the washing machine.

Thirsties Duo Diapers are easy to use! Stuff the insert in the sleeve of the diaper and wrap it around your baby. Secure the diaper with the hook-and-look closures for an easy way to get a perfect fit. Thirsties' leg gussets ensure leak-proof protection and the bindings are soft against baby's skin. The fold-over tabs protect the hook-and-loop-closures in the wash.

Thirsties was generous enough to sponsor this week's giveaway! To enter to win your free Thirsties Duo Diaper in your choice of size and color, you will receive ONE entry for EACH option below (you MUST leave a comment for each option saying what you did and where). This means you can get multiple entries increasing your chance to WIN! (each "Weekly Giveaway" may be different): 1. Become a subscriber of Nicki's Diapers Blog or if you already are post it 2. Become a Fan of Nicki's Diapers Facebook page 3. Post a comment on Facebook about Nicki's Diapers including a link to any page on Nicki's Diapers 4. Follow nickisdiapers on Twitter 5. Tweet about Nicki's Diapers including a link to any page on Nicki's Diapers 6. Blog about Nicki's Diapers including a link to any page on Nicki's Diapers 7. Talk about Nicki's Diapers on a Forum including a link to any page on Nicki's Diapers 8. Grab one of our buttons and put it on your blog. 9. What is your favorite color.

February 18th-February 24th Weekly Giveaway WINNER

Congratulations to The Logans on winning this week's giveaway! You've won a red Moby Wrap! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within 1 week to claim your prize!

Thirsties Duo Diaper: Two Sizes May Be Better Than One!

Have you experienced the frustration of having to find a newborn diaper for your baby to wear before they grow into their one-size diaper? How about having a tall toddler who out grows the rise of their one-size diaper before they're ready to potty train? Thirsties has come up with a diapering system that will address those problems. My oldest son was 3 months old when we started cloth diapering so we were able to use one-size pocket diapers from the beginning. However, when I was pregnant with my second son, I realized we'd have to find a diapering system to use until he grew into his brother's one-size diapers. Most one-size diapers don't fit till baby is close to 10 pounds. Lucky for me (well, maybe not so lucky:)) I have big babies, so that time from birth till 10 pounds is only a matter of a month or so. If you have more petite babies, that can be months! Using disposable diapers for those first couple of months is always an option, but with a newborn going through 12+ diapers a day, that can be very expensive! Thirsties has introduced a wonderful new diapering system called the Duo Diaper. They were so kind and gave me a size 2 Duo Diaper to try out on my boys. I'm so thankful I gave this diaper a try, it's one of my absolute favorites now! The Duo Diaper is a 2-piece system that has a super absorbent insert (a combination insert of thirsty microfiber and jersey hemp) and a water-proof outer pocket. The pocket comes in 2 sizes (size 1 and size 2) and each size has 2 sets of rise adjusting snaps, making 3 sizes per diaper! This diaper will absolutely fit the average newborn from birth!

One-size pocket diapers are extremely bulky on newborns. The size 1 Duo Diaper starts at 6 pounds and goes up to 18 pounds. That means half as much bulk! The size 2 Duo Diaper starts at 18 pounds and goes up to an astonishing 40 pounds! No more plumber crack from your toddler who is outgrowing the rise of their one-size diaper.

We've trusted Thirsties covers with their super gussets to contain my sons' EBF poop and you'll be happy to know they've used their trademark gussets on their Duo Diapers, too. And another very cool feature (this diaper is jam-packed with them, hey?!) , a pass-through sleeve that makes for easy insert stuffing AND allows the insert to agitate itself out in the wash. No touching dirty inserts! One of my favorite parts of this diaper and other Thirsties products in the waterproof material on the inside of the diaper that prevents the insert (or prefold in the case of their covers) from peaking out the top. That means my boys, who are tummy sleepers, can wear this diaper overnight and I'm not worried about moisture wicking onto their jammies and sheets!

I'd never pass at an opportunity to show my kids off. Here is my youngest son wearing a size 2 Duo Diaper. He's about 20 pounds. The diaper is on the tightest setting for him.

Here is my older son in the same size 2 Duo Diaper. He's about 30 pounds and wears it on the middle setting. Still lots of room to grow!

My overall impression? This is a quality diaper and an ingenious idea! Why buy a newborn diaper, a one-size diaper and later on a larger diaper for your toddler when you can just buy 2 sizes of Duo Diapers and be assured of a great fit?! This never leaked on my boys, still looks as new as the day I got it and is a cinch to care for. To find out more about the Thirsties Duo Diaper and other great products from Thirsties, request a FREE copy of their catalog or visit their facebook page!

Check back on Thursday for your chance to win a Thirsties Duo Diaper in your choice of size and color!