Are you a mama who loves to write? Contribute to the Luvaboos Blog!

The Luvaboos Blog is looking for blog contributors!  You don't have to be an Ernest Hemingway to contribute either.  All you need is to be able to type.  If you're a mama and you've tried or used any of the products we carry at Luvaboos, have natural parenting experience or story you'd like to share, tips for how to green your household or lifestyle, etc.  We'd love to have you contribute an article!

Here are some great suggestions for topics if you need some ideas.

• Product Reviews w/ Photos of any of the products we carry at Luvaboos.
• Cloth Diapering Tutorials like How to Use a Diaper Sprayer, How to fold prefolds, Suggestions for how to care for your diapers, etc.
• Stories about why you cloth diaper, What other people think of your choice to use cloth, Does your husband change cloth diapers?
• How to use and care for Mama Cloth.
• Why you choose wooden and/or non-toxic toys.
• Household eco-friendly cleaning tips.
• Babywearing Testimonies, Baby Carrier/Wrap Reviews, Babywearing Tutorials
• and much more!

Being a guest contributor is a great way to get a little time in the spotlight and a great way to promote your own personal blog or etsy store, etc.  Each Blog post we share with contain a Bio about the author which will include a photo, a little bit about yourself and any applicable links.

Please contact us for more details and/or to submit your first article!

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Rock your household cleaning routine with Rockin' Greens...52 Weeks of Clean!

Rockin' Green has a great little promo going on right now!  You sign up for their 52 Weeks of Clean Campaign and they will either text you or email you rockin' cleaning tips and tricks once a week for 52 weeks!

Each cleaning tip, trick or suggestion will involve the use of Rockin' Green products and will help you gain some much needed motivation and inspiration when it comes to cleaning and household chores.

Rockin' Green has made it super easy to subscribe.  Simply visit this link and sign up for their weekly notifications!

Don't have any Rockin' Green or need to restock yours?  Visit Luvaboos where we have a great selection of Rockin Green products.  You can shop online or visit our store in Rochester NY if you'd like to shop in person!

I don't know about you but any time I can get a reminder about cleaning something the better off I am.  Time flies and next thing I know I went the whole day without getting one thing done that I'd like to accomplish.  I'm definitely signing up for these free text reminders, I think it will be super cool and I look forward to learning all the different ways to use my Rockin' Green since I am no longer washing diapers.

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Will you be taking the Flats and Handwashing Challenge? May 23-30

DirtyDiaperLaundry, a popular cloth diaper advocacy and review blog, is hosting the Flats and Handwashing Challenge May 23-30, 2011.

The purpose of the challenge is to promote cloth diapering as an affordable alternative, even for low-income families who may be having a hard time affording disposables and may not even have access to a laundry facility.

The challenge is to use flats and covers during the day for 1 week and use handwashing techniques, no electricity allowed!  Bloggers and families are encouraged to join the challenge and document their experience using flats instead of some of the more modern cloth diaper alternatives.


Dirty Diaper Laundry is going to help you every step along the way and has already begun compiling flats folding technique videos, videos on how to handwash or make your own camp-style bucket washer, and more!

Take this opportunity to kick it old school with flats and covers for one week!  You'll be glad you did!

To sign up for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge and/or to read more about it, click HERE.

To purchase your cloth diaper covers, fasteners and other cloth diaper accessories visit Luvaboos!

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Time to replace your inserts?

Something that not a whole lot of moms consider is that cloth diaper inserts do eventually need to be replaced.  Many purchase cloth and feel that they have the whole setup, enough to diaper their babies from birth through potty and then save for future children.  There is wear and tear involved in the use of diapers and inserts and you may not know it but having worn out inserts could be the source of many of your leaking or wicking diapers.

Microfiber-terry isn't called "terry" for nothing, it's called terry because it should be soft and fluffy like a terrycloth towel.  The terry is much finer of course but it should still be there.  The microfiber-terry is what holds the moisture, so while you might be able to double or triple up your old inserts, they just won't be functioning like they should and your diapers are likely to leak or need to be changed more frequently.

If your microfiber-terry inserts are lacking the fine, soft, fluffy terry that they came with then you could seriously benefit from purchasing some new inserts.

Luckily micro-terry inserts are not that expensive and are a small price to pay in order to get yourself back on track with successful cloth diapering again.

Often micro-terry inserts can be purchased for between 2.50-4.00 each and when bought in bulk you can save a lot more.

So if you've been having leaky diapers or feel like your child is wetting through everything too quickly, consider replacing your inserts with new micro-terry.

Luvaboos has a great selection of inserts and doublers to choose from!  Click here for our complete selection!

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Tips for becoming a little "greener" this Earth Day!

Earth Day is here and it's a perfect time to increase your shade of green, take it up a notch or two!  There are pretty hardcore ways of living a greener or more eco-friendly lifestyle if you're so inclined, however we're going to share with you some simple every day things you can do to go green or "greener."

Recycle just a little bit more!  Recycling is one the the easiest things to do in my opinion.  In today's age most of us have special bins for our recyclables and even special recycling pickup on designated days of the week.  Recycling is much cleaner than keeping all that funky garbage around and it just make so much more sense.

If you already recycle then try stepping it up a bit.  Add some new items to the list of things you recycle.  Cereal and pasta boxes, egg cartons, and the styrofoam  commonly used in meat packaging are often forgotten and go unrecycled.

Green Your Cleaning Routine!  Try purchasing more environmentally friendly household cleaners or make your own.  Vinegar has a variety of uses.  Mix 1 part water with 1 part vinegar in an old spray bottle and it works great for surface cleaning, mopping, and more!

Switch to un-paper towels!  Un-paper towels are similar to dish towels but frequently made out of inexpensive flannels or cottons.  Fold 12 x 12 squares in a cute basket and encourage their use instead of reaching for a paper towel throughout the day.  You'll find that you're saving money and trees, plus they're way cuter!

Try Mama Cloth or a Green Menstrual Alternative!  Using a Diva Cup or reusable Mama Cloth can save you a lot of money and prevent a lot of unnecessary waste and save your septic system if you have one.  If you're afraid to switch completely to reusable menstrual products try just one day at a time until you're comfortable and have perfected your routine!

These are just a few of the simple ways you can go a little greener this Earth Day!  We hope you'll choose at least a couple to try.  Enjoy!

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Featured Product: The Learning Tower!

If your household is anything like mine, then your kids are constantly wanting to help out in the kitchen.  Before I even have a chance to say yes or no they've pulled chairs up to the counter and are climbing on board, eager and ready to lend a helping hand.

Another reason I presume they like to stand on chairs or climb onto the counters is because they like to see what's going on waaaay up there.  I know if I were a little one like they are I sure would be interested in seeing all that I was missing and all that was out of my reach.

The Learning Tower is the perfect and safe solution to this precarious problem.  When your little one's using it you can rest assured that they'll be able to see and help and they won't fall off and hurt themselves the moment your back is turned.  You'll also be able to easily position dangerous objects out of their reach.

Here are some great benefits and product features:

• Provides safety and versatility not found with traditional step stools
• Only step stool on the market carefully designed to meet the specific needs of young toddlers 18mos+
• Fosters a positive self-image and a sense of independence in small children as they climb up and down without assistance
• Welcomes the child as a helping participant alongside parents and siblings
• Nurtures a child’s innate desire to be independent and inquisitive
• Constructed from highest quality layered Birch
• Platform height adjust s quickly and easily to gorw with your child from ages 18 months up to 6 years
• Four–sided railings provide support while your child climbs in and prevent falling when inside the Tower
• Wide 15” X 18” platform lets your child move about without slipping off a step
• Fits flush against kitchen counters for safe access, allowing your child to get a drink of water, help with dishes and laundry, decorate cookies and join in with other family activities
• Carefully finished with durable, non-toxic, lead free finish
• Cleans easily with a damp cloth
• Tower magically transforms into an imaginative playhouse or puppet theater by throwing a piece of fabric over the top.
• Playhouse/Puppet Theater Accessory Kit available for extended play
• Affords adults the peace of mind to work freely knowing their little ones are safely at their side
• Meet safety standards for ASTM(F96-30) and Home Playground Equipment(F11-48-98C)
• Has been tested to hold up to 500lbs

For more details and to purchase the Learning Tower please visit Luvaboos.

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Are some diapers too cute for poop?

The title may sound absurd, but to those of you who it doesn't sound cray...you'll know just what I'm talking about!

Diapers come and diapers go, some are your workhorse diapers, tried, tested and bulletproof.  You don't care what their color or if they have stains.  Sure, there are cute workhorse diapers too, but there are also some diapers that are just too cute for poop!

I've been there.  I've drooled over diapers that looked so cute, fluffy, soft, luxurios...you name it and they embodied it.  With a little product photography and the right print or color combo some diapers can look downright delicious!  I've contemplated, what is too much to pay for a diaper? Even a diaper that's not waterproof?  I should have at least one in my stash I thought.

And so it happens, you come to own a diaper, or two, or more...that you spent a little more than you should have on or that you think are just so cute and new and fluffy that you time it so that baby will not likely poop in it.

These special diapers may one day become a keepsake or they may just get resold, after you've had a chance to take a bunch of adorable photos of your little one in them, of course!

My "too cute for poop" diapers were a brand that's gone out of business.  Turns out they cost more to make than they could sell for and it ended up leading to their demise.  The brand was Just Ducky Baby and the diapers were divine!

Do you have any diapers you try to keep in the best shape possible, maybe because you have buyers remorse, or maybe because you want to keep them nice and new?  What are they?  Please share your stories.

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Don't stress out over cloth diapers, Visit our Cloth Diaper 101 Resources!

Luvaboos has an awesome Cloth Diapering 101 resource located on our website that is full of great cloth diapering information.  We know that choosing the right diapers, deciding how many you need and how to care for them can be overwhelming so we've done our best to compile everything you need to know in one easy to access area.

Visit our Cloth Diaper 101 Page and you can learn...

• Will cloth diapers really save you money?
• What are the different types of cloth diapers?
• Snap closures vs. Aplix closure, Which should you choose?
• Should you use Disposable Liners?
• Are cloth diapers a lot of work?
• How much more often will you have to change your baby?
• How do I wash cloth diapers?

And the answers to many more of your most frequently asked cloth diaper questions.

Don't stress out about cloth diapering.  Let us share our knowledge and experience with you and help make your transition to cloth as easy as possible.

Have additional questions?  Make sure to post on our FaceBook Fan Page and we'll do our best to assist you as quickly and thoroughly as we can.

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Tips and Tricks for making the switch to Cloth Mama Pads!

Guest post by Amanda

One of the barriers that women everywhere experience when deciding to switch to mama cloth, or cloth pads, is learning how to store and care for their pads. I will be the first to admit I was a little more than intimidated by switching over. It took a real change of thinking for me to consider the benefits for both my body and the environment.

Washing and Care of Cloth Pads

The first thing that you will want to know is that mama cloth is very easy to care for. If you cloth diaper you already have everything you need to wash your cloth pads. I usually wash mine with a load of diapers since I wash them every other day. My washer is right by the bathroom door so I toss them in on my way out. Simple. For soap, I personally use Gain but you can use anything that you normally use. Clean rinsing detergent may be better if you have any sensitivity to detergents.

If you don’t cloth diaper then you can wash your pads with towels. I have found that washing pads daily is ideal if you want to avoid staining. You can also soak the pads in a mixture of Oxy Clean and water in an old wet wipes container under the bathroom sink or just in plain water if you don’t wash that often. I haven’t ever had to soak my pads, though, so it totally isn’t necessary. I toss them into a small wetbag under my bathroom sink (or in my purse-sized wetbag if I am out) when I can’t put them into the washer right away.

So far, I have had zero issues with staining. OBV, organic bamboo velour, is definitely one of my favorite materials for cloth pads because it seems to reduce staining significantly and it is super soft and comfortable. Pads are also available in cotton, flannel, OBV and a lot other materials. A waterproof backing like fleece or PUL is nice to have on heavy flow days since it will provide an extra layer of protection for leaks, while an inner layer of zorb or microfiber will provide extra absorption.

Darker colors and dyed OBV also hide staining nicely, so I usually buy darker colored or swirl dyed OBV pads just for the cute factor.

Is It Gross?
Using cloth pads is honestly one of the best things I have ever done for my personal comfort. The cloth pads I have never chaff or rub and I have actually experienced a lighter period that lasts for a shorter time with cloth pads. I promise, you will notice the difference immediately. A lot of people think that cloth pads are gross. I really don’t think they are. It’s my body, and I am totally comfortable with it.

You don’t have to touch anything and most pads with wings and snaps can be rolled up for storage. Just roll the pad ends in toward the center, and pull the wings together and snap them. Everything is contained inside the pad until you wash it. This is the method I use when I am out and need to store a used pad in the wetbag in my purse, and then toss everything, including the wetbag, into the washer when I get home.

So, What’s the Bad?
I don’t have anything bad to say about mama cloth. Really. I have experienced nothing but positive things since making the switch. I take them when I spend the night with family; I use them all the time. They are a little bit of an investment but since they can be used for literally years I think you actually save money over time. Well, unless you are like me and keep buying cute mama cloth even when you have a complete stash!

About the Author:
Amanda Hall is a green mom of six kids and a blogger who also writes professionally. You can check out her blog at Cloth Diapering Mommy to Six or her business website at www.SEOProOnline.info.

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BumGenius Buy 5, Get 1 Free Sale is back!

Time to stock up on those workhorse diapers, BumGenius 4.0 Pockets!  These sales don't come around that often due to the popularity and already high demand of the BumGenius product line, so when there's a chance to save big and earn FREE diapers you don't want to miss it!

The BumGenius 4.0 Pocket Diaper is a truly convenient, easy to use and reliable Onesize Pocket Diaper.  It's suedecloth stay-dry interior keeps baby feeling dry and is super durable.  These diapers stay looking newer much longer than diapers with microfleece interiors. 

Available in snaps or aplix, each diaper comes with two super absorbent microfiber inserts so that you can customize the absorbency to suit your baby's needs.

The snap down rise allows you to adjust the fit and even use the same diaper on two different sized children if you happen to have more than one in diapers at the same time.

They're super easy to use and caregiver approved.  You'll be sure to fall in love with these great diapers!

*Our Buy 5, Get 1 Free Sale runs April 1-May 31st or while supplies last and is only valid on diapers of equal or lesser value.

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Gro-Via Sale starts today! Ready...Set...Shop!

One of your favorite brands of cloth diapers, GroVia, is having a great sale this month!

April 1-30 you have the opportunity to Buy 3, Get 1 Free on Shells or AIO's.  These savings really can't be beat and these sales don't come around that often.  Luvaboos has a great in-stock selection of GroVia.  If you're in Rochester, stop by and shop in the store.  If you'd prefer to shop online then check out our website! 

GroVia diapers are a cut above the rest.  Their unique design and hybrid features make this diapering system a must have for all cloth diapering families.  Use as an AI2 cloth system or use the shell and Biodegradable inserts and you have a hybrid system, perfect for traveling, caregivers, camping, and daycares!

If you haven't tried GroVia products yet then this is the perfect opportunity for you!

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