From Jenn: Christmas with Econobum (and thanksgiving day deals too)

(thanksgiving day deals included at the bottom of this blog post)

With the money saved by not purchasing disposable diapers, cloth diapers can help provide a family you know with better food. This year, our theme for Christmas is "Trim a Tree. Trim a Budget. Give Cloth Diapers." You can change a family's life (and how well they are able to feed their children) by giving them cloth diapers.

Kimberly Clark has been airing commercials recently about their "Every Little Bottom" campaign. They now know what we already knew... many families are choosing between diapers and groceries. While I'm glad to see Kimberly Clark responding to that family's need, it would have been more appropriate to focus their investment in a reusable product like Econobum. Reusable diapers would enable that family to continue feeding their children... long after the diaper banks dry up and the promotion is over. At it's best, the "Every Little Bottom" campaign is promoting and reinforcing a cultural dependence on disposable diapers, at the basest, most inexcusable level... in families who are choosing between diapers and food. How does this make you feel?

When my husband and I started Cotton Babies eight years ago, we already realized we could not afford to buy both diapers and groceries. Our baby was wearing prefolds and diaper covers given to us by a friend. Every week, our grocery budget was $30 plus the WIC check bought our milk, beans, tuna, carrots, baby cereal and a few other essentials. We chose to use cloth diapers simply because we couldn't afford to use disposables.

A few years later, we went to our first JPMA trade show with the bumGenius 1.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers pictured at the right. (Babies who wore those diapers are now starting kindergarten!) We showed up with five folding tables, hundreds of diapers, business cards and a really big sign. We always had a crowd around our tables, but I'll never forget the afternoon that I looked up and saw "Proctor & Gamble" nametags. Two men in suits were standing there listening to my presentation. When I finished, I watched them walk away laughing. One said, loudly enough for me to overhear, "You've got to be kidding!"

I wasn't kidding. Today, based on retailer reports, bumGenius is the #1 selling cloth diaper in North America. We have manufactured and sold many millions of diapers. Together, our brands may have single-handedly prevented the use and disposal of nearly 1 billion disposable diapers.

While bumGenius is one of my proudest accomplishments, I've always been acutely aware it was very difficult for many families to make the investment necessary to purchase bumGenius One-Size Cloth Diapers. So, last year, we developed Econobum, a brand designed to reach out to lower income families who couldn't afford to buy our more expensive brands. We made sure the products were high quality and packaged them in an affordable manner. For $11.95, you can purchase three one-size prefolds and a one-size diaper cover. For $48.95, you can purchasetwelve one-size prefolds, 3 one-size diaper covers and a reusable wet bag. You'll be doing laundry every day or every other day... but it's enough. If you do your wash in a laundromat, four of the Econobum Full Kit boxes would provide your family with enough cloth diapers to make it through an entire week of diapering... for under $200. In other cloth diaper brands, the same number of reusable diaper changes could cost upwards of $800-$1500. Econobum actually enables families to diaper a baby for much less than disposable diapers and significantly less than any other cloth diaper brand on the market.

This summer, we had the opportunity to distribute 800 Econobum Kits to a needy neighborhood in north St. Louis. Those Econobum Kits could save that neighborhood over $1.6 million in diaper expenditures over the next two years. Our diapers were a tiny part of a major event called "Love The Neighborhood" coordinated by Service International and Pastor Jeff Perry from St. Louis Family Church. "Love the Neighborhood" impacted many, many St. Louis families by providing school supplies, backpacks, clothing and shoes to thousands of neighborhood children.

A few months later, I flew to Michigan to be part of another event coordinated by Molly Ging atThe Little Seedling. There, we distributed Econobum Kits to grateful WIC families.

These are two relatively small events. When you think through what this could mean on a larger scale, a reusable product like Econobum has the potential to have a major impact on low income families... at a micro-level like they did for my own family eight years ago, at a neighborhood level like we saw in North St. Louis and at a community and state level, reaching across the nation and saving our country billions each year. The first savings is realized at the family level, but later, your community actually sees a savings too because you're throwing away less trash. One family doesn't make a huge difference... but what if every low income family in your community switched to Econobum?

Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Buy Econobum for someone you know. If you don't already know a family that needs cloth diapers, starting today, whenever you purchase Econobum from Cotton Babies, you can now select to have the product donated on your behalf to a needy family. We will be working with our local food banks, pregnancy clinics and shelters to provide education and ensure the diapers get in the hands of the right people. Every box of donated Econobum Full Kits could conservatively provide a family with an additional $10, $20 or even $30 in their weekly grocery budget.

Trim a tree. Trim a budget. Buy diapers to give today.... and thank you for participating in change that can have such an important impact on our country.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennifer Labit, Owner

Cotton Babies, Inc.

P.S. As our way of saying thank you for being a Cotton Babies customer, every purchase over $30 on Thanksgiving Day qualifies for a free package of bumGenius Flannel Baby Wipes (an $11.95 value) or a free pair of bumGenius Baby Legs (an $11.95) value. One code per order. You must add the product to your cart and use the code "FREEBABYLEGS" or "FREEBABYWIPES to get the discount during checkout. As always, every single order ships free.

Additionally, we have some fun Thanksgiving Day Giveaways!! Three random people willbe chosen from comments on this blog post, tweets on Twitter using the #cottonbabies hashtag,or comments on our Facebook page to receive a free Ergo Baby Carrier (valued at $105). Eligible entries must be posted on Thanksgiving Day. U.S. Residents only. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win. Winners will be announced on Black Friday.

P.P.S. We have some great Black Friday Deals coming on Friday! Those deals will be posted on the blog at 12:01am on Friday. See links on the right side of this page for how to follow our blog so you're first to hear!

Please share the deals with your friends through Facebook by "liking" this post. Thanks!