Classic Bare Cub versus our new cloth nappy range

I've gotten a lot of questions about our old and new nappies. So here is a run down of the different designs so you know exactly what product offers which features!

It's important to realise, the shape and fit of all nappies is identical. The snap in insert is the same across the range and you can use inserts from your Classic nappies in your New design nappies. Our new design is even trimmer then the previous, as the built in microfibre added a bit of bulk to the nappy which has been eliminated with a trimmer bamboo insert.

You can find all the nappies from here.

Nappy Style	Outer Shell	Inner Lining	Pocket	Snap In insert	Built in Microfibre	Bamboo Booster	Drying Time	Fit
Classic Bare Cub	Minky	Suede Cloth	Yes	Yes	Yes	Can be added, purchase separately.	Quick, but has microfibre in the shell which takes some time.	8 Waist Snaps.
New Bare Cub	Minky	Suede Cloth	Yes	Yes	No	Included and to be used for best results.	Fastest, shell is made of non absorbent materials.	10 Waist snaps for more waist and thigh room.
Silky Bare	PUL	Suede Cloth	Yes	Yes	No	Included and to be used for best results.	Fastest, shell is made of non absorbent materials.	10 Waist snaps for more waist and thigh room.
Ruffle Cub	Minky	Suede Cloth	Yes	Yes	No	Included and to be used for best results.	Fastest, shell is made of non absorbent materials.	10 Waist snaps for more waist and thigh room.

A few tips for the new nappies:

• Ensure you use both bamboo inserts included with your nappy. The rectangular bamboo insert should be faced with the rough/terry towel side facing up. This is because the terry is faster to absorb then the fleece. It works much like microfibre to absorb very quickly. This helps stop leaks as fluid travels across the fabrics in the nappy. 
• Shells without microfibre will dry very quickly. In the summer, almost instantly. Take advantage of this by buying more inserts then nappy shells. You can then have a set of inserts drying while using the spares. 
• Our ruffle cubs are so gorgeous you wont want to take them off. Buy a spare set of inserts and when changing just change the inserts and not the cover. You can get a few wears from the same nappy cover. 

Cloth Nappies - our little ruffle cubs

Last summer I blogged about Nappies as Clothes. Sydney sweated through the hottest summer in history (along with the rest of Australia) and we had a new baby and a 2 year old in nappies. My solution was a gorgeous minky Baby Bare nappy and a cute light weight top.

This got me thinking how we could change the nappies to make them even more appealing for the warm summer months. Suddenly, my love for ruffles and nappies combined.

I've talked a bit about these new nappies before, but I am just so excited. Our littlest girl, Emma, has been trying these nappies out since they arrived a week ago. She has all the colours and she is already getting compliments on how amazing her nappies are. She is wearing them under dresses to smarten up her bottom (we all know 10 month olds like to flash their nappies - and why not when they look as good as these!) as well as on their own with a singlet.

So, if you have a little girl at home, grab some Ruffle Cubs. Summer is already on our doorstep! You can just buy the covers and make use of existing inserts at home, or grab a whole nappy. You can also just change the inserts meaning you can use the same cover for multiple changes.

New cloth nappies with ruffles

Buying Second Hand Nappies - the good, bad and the ugly!

When I first started with cloth nappies, I didn't even realise there was a second hand market for them. I looked for some good sales and bought a few to try out. Not long after, I was designing my own and through all my research found there was a very strong market for selling used nappies.

This concept took me by surprise. I totally understand why parents buy second hand nappies - you save money, it gives you a chance to trial cloth nappies with minimum outlay, and it gives the nappies a further chance to be used and not wasted.

But. And this is a big but. Some times I really wonder if it is worth it.

Baby Bare was in many ways started from the second hand trade. Seeing nappies selling for almost $40 a piece, I could see why they were selling second hand. I aimed to come up with a nappy that could be bought for the same price so many are selling second hand. Yet, it was brand new.

I am apprehensive to tell any parent to buy second hand. I recommend using a nappy library, and then buying nappies you know are perfect for you.

So why do I personally recommend against second hand nappies?

• Second hand nappies have no warranty. You're on your own if something goes wrong.
• You have no idea what condition the nappies will be in when you receive them.
• You have little idea how much life is left in the nappies when you purchase them. 
• You can buy great nappies for less then $20. Buy brand new in your budget, rather then second hand. 
• Do not fall into the trap of thinking you will get a better deal on a second hand $40 nappy, then a brand new $20 nappy. 
• The controversial one - another baby has peed and pooped in the nappy. It probably isn't worth the price tag on it. After all, what other items of clothing would you buy after they'd been used in this way. 

I honestly think a set of cloth nappies will see out there best time being used the first time through. If you have subsequent children they will also benefit. You have full control over your nappies from the start. You know the history of washing and care, and if anything goes wrong you have a warranty. Your baby gets the luxury of a brand new nappy and at the end you can sell them and make back your money.

A work at home cloth nappy mum

I'm a work at home mum. Commonly known as a WAHM.

In my previous life (before I became the mum part of the WAHM) I worked in tax accounting in the public service. Spending a year at home with my first daughter saw me wanting to create an opportunity to work from home, I also had itchy feet. I needed something to keep my mind active. I combined my interest in cloth nappies with my business background and Baby Bare was born.

I get asked a lot what I do, and how I juggle being a work at home mum. The truth is, it's a tough gig. A lot of people think working from home is a luxury, but I've found it to be harder then having an office job. There is no designated time to work, I don't go to the office and get in the mind space of work and I have to fit in the business around my other job - parenting.

A typical day for me sees me doing my emails and social media (read facebook) through out the day whilst doing my 'parenting' job. I don't go into the 'office' until the babies are in bed. So I start work at 8pm at night. Packing orders, sending invoices, sewing samples or repairing nappies, sorting the shelves, emailing suppliers, recording sales and expenses, calling the courier, counting stock, contacting retailers etc. It's tough work, working at night when I'm at my most tired.

Introducing PUL nappies to Baby Bare

It's been about 18 months since we sold our first Baby Bare nappy. In that time we've received so many lovely emails from our beautiful customers. There have been lots of glowing thanks, and also some requests.

I have tried to answer as many requests as I possibly can, after all our brand is there to meet the needs of our market - delivering great value nappies that are effective and easy to use. One such request was PUL nappies. Many parents simply prefer PUL over minky. We have also had an overwhelming request for patterns. As a pattern lover myself, I totally understand.

We therefore introducing our new Silky Bare range - patterned PUL nappies. Now available on our website here, they are on super sale for $15, and as low as $12 in a bulk pack.

You should hurry if you want some as I only have limited quantities, these have been ordered in as a trial. We'd love feedback from any parents using our new nappies too!

Our new farmyard Silky Bare

Little Bee Silky Bare nappy

Giveaway - Winner

It seems our blog decided to hide quote a few of our entrants and we have had a few emailed to us because of this (so we had more then the 12 on the blog)!

But we have spent some time going through them all and have decided we liked 'Bare-y Frilly' (sounds like 'very frilly') the best.

Our winner has been notified through email. They have won themselves a $30 voucher to spend in our online store. We have another $30 voucher to give away - more info to come :)

The Big Birthday Blog - Cloth Nappy Giveaway

So its a big week. This week I'm celebrating a birthday, and we start two weeks holidays with Daddy Bare home.

In celebration of my birthday we are planning a few sales and giveaways based around the number '30' (this may be an indication of this big birthday!).

Baby Bare is in sale mode as we are also welcoming new stock & trying to clear out some of our existing stock to prepare for a major renovation at Baby Bare HQ.

Our home is undergoing a major reno job in the next few months (at least we hope!) and this means Baby Bare HQ is being displaced. So we need as much help as possible to get our stock levels down to manageable size with Baby Bare being allocated space the size of a shoebox (well, close enough!).

So as part of the celebrations I'm giving away two x $30 gift vouchers. They will be given in two parts. Here's the first giveaway:

How to win a $30 Voucher 
You need to comment on the end of this blog with a suggested name for our new frilly nappy range (due in stock sometime in the next week).

Our new nappies, perfect for your littlest princess

Our most favourite name will win the $30 voucher - You must also be a liker of our facebook page: www.facebook.com/babybareclothnappies.

So get commenting. This comp ends on August 15th at 9pm. One entry per person.