the cloth nappy blog

Thirsties frenzy imminent - stand back!!

We loved these nappies from the first moment we set eyes on them and you seemed to agree because our first shipment sold out in a matter of days!

Unfortunately, it coincided with some production delays in the US that meant further orders were delayed and we've been out of stock of pretty much all colours and sizes for several weeks now :-(

But, they are finally almost with us! Customs and excise are doing their worst as I write and we expect them to be delivered by the middle of next week. Lots of lovely nappies in pretty much all sizes and colours.

Royal Mail permitting...

is a phrase I use fairly regularly! To customers on the phone, eager to know when a just-placed order might arrive, in answer to email queries about stock availability etc. etc.

Unfortunately, with the recent strike action still causing delays, losses and general chaos it's been adjuncted with a caveat :-( Parcels that were dispatched before the strike action started are still only just getting through, although others posted in the last few days have arrived  - who knows what the inside of the average Royal Mail sorting office looks like at the moment???

We're really hoping that the worst of it is over... but in the meantime if you're waiting for 'fluffy post' we truly hope it arrives soon and can only apologise for the agony the delays may be causing!

updating, upgrading, tweaking...

Little changes are afoot in the world of Kittykins... As well as being our busiest time of year we've decided to try to implement some of the ideas we've been collecting on scraps of paper and in the recesses of our minds over the last few months! Yep, we are gluttons for punishment.

So, we've been busy tweaking and twiddling behind the scenes and over the next few weeks you should notice some changes to the web site that will enhance and improve your browsing and shopping experience! Exactly when and what depends a lot on how well our current 'nappy tester' sleeps. Based on the last few days it could be a while ;-)

We've also got the newest Fuzzi Bunz print in stock for you, 'All Aboard' is a funky little train, very reminiscent tof a certain Tank Engine... Only Small and Medium for now but we'll hopefully manage to secure some Large nappies with our next delivery.

We're also watching bumGenius pocket nappies arrive - and leave again almost as quickly as they arrive, so if you're hanging on for a particular colour we should have more soon...

how was it for you?

Well, we're just about coming up for air after another very busy Real Nappy Week! What with the preparation, sending out leaflets and info to groups all over the place, organising local demos and talking to media, journos etc. it's quite a busy time for us! And that's before you add the additional business it invariably generates into the bargain...

So, it's been a while since I've managed to update the blog, apologies all round...

We're were very excited to draw the winners for our RNW prize draw!

L. White in Surrey was our First Prize Winner and £100 of products of her choice are en route as we speak.

D. Mullins in London and S. Savage in Scotland each got £25 to spend at Kittykins as Runners Up.

I think we were just as excited as the winners to be honest!

We've also been busy adding lines to the range. The Baby Beehinds nappies are proving incredibly popular and it's easy to see why! They're probably the most absorbent nappy we've ever trialled and the colours are wonderful.

We've got more new products waiting in the wings and we'll be sure to keep you posted!

Welcome to 2007!

Happy New Year!

Now the last of the Christmas cake has finally gone we thought it was time we updated you with all the new products we've added to our catalogue recently and gave you advanced warning of a few that will be arriving soon...

Tots Bots launched their redesigned Tots wraps shortly before Christmas and they're proving very popular! Designed to coordinate with the Rainbow Bamboozles they now have an integral leg gusset for added reliability.

P'Tits Dessous 'Toudou' nappies , from France, are lovely polycotton velour with a microfibre soaker for quick drying absorbency. Popper fastening and very soft and slimline they will also soon be available in a natural organic cotton velour with a bamboo soaker. We've also got the highly versatile bamboo insert which can be folded to make a super thirsty pocket nappy filler.

Nature Babies Micro pocket is a totally new take on the original Dizzy Diaper. Updated and remodelled it's a good fit (longer in the rise!), lightweight, quick drying and comes with a micro insert so is very economical

Baby Beehinds are an Australian nappy that is a truly versatile birth to potty option. Made from absorbent hemp 'french terry' (loopy hemp to you and me!) it has two removable boosters so isn't huge on a newborn yet is also plenty absorbent enough for a toddler. Watch out for the bamboo fleece version in some great colours in the next few weeks.

Mamabless wool wraps are the first 'birth to potty' wool cover we've come across so make using wool more financially viable. Soft ribbed wool with simple press stud fastenings and a waist tie allow this wrap to be folded for a newborn and also fit a toddler easily.

Hempresto nappy mats are unique in our experience and a must have newborn item in our view. As well as having a soft fleece outer and organic hemp/cotton inner making changes on the go comfy they also have poppers that allow the mat to be fastened around a small baby's legs to contain little accidents so ideal for baby massage and 'kick around' time at home. We've also got Wompads which are nifty little pocket breast pads - essential for those initial breastfeeding weeks!

In the next few weeks we'll be adding products from Bright Bots as well as lots of new Minki prints and a brand new Stuffable Lite from Nature Babies, it's set to be a busy year!

Don't forget to get in touch by phone or email contact@kittykins.co.uk if you've got questions about anything we stock or you've got general nappy worries and need advice!

possibly the most absorbent nappy...

we've ever tried will be hitting the Kittykins 'shelves' in the New Year! The Baby Beehinds Bamboo fleece nappy has got to be more absorbent than anything else I've tried in the last 4 years. It's a birth to potty nappy with two snap-in boosters and is a very slow dryer but hey, it will last all night without boosting and just keeps absorbing for hour after hour during the day with not a leak in sight!

We've got the hemp/cotton blend version in stock already (pics soon I promise) and that is pretty close to perfection for a birth to potty nappy, it has to be said, but the capabilities of the bamboo version just seem unbelievable! Not only that, but it's available in some wonderfully vibrant colours as well... we'll let you know as soon as they arrive.

On an entirely different (and self-congratulatory) note, Kittykins was very chuffed to be named Classic FM's 'Office of the Day' on Monday last week!!!

A tale of two slings...

Both boys have always preferred being 'slung' to being 'pushed' so I've had good reason to test all the slings we sell (and a few we don't!) over the past 4 years and I've pretty much settled into a couple of old favourites that suit most occasions. My absolute, take it everywhere, use it anywhere, sling is my Ellaroo. It's a big scarf, it trails in the mud, it's certainly a conversation starter (and I keep threatening to 'upgrade' it to a Didymos but that would be cruel!). I also adore my Cwtshi for it's ease of use and funky fabric (chocolate flowers) and wouldn't be without a fleecy pouch sling for the first couple of months with a newborn...

However, on a recent short break I chose to use a Hug-a-bub to carry Jesse around a particularly busy Peak District market town. And having hauled his 25lb, monster 13 month old butt around for a good couple of hours I can safely report back that I feel that the Hug-a-bub is definitely a sling best suited to younger, less wriggly, less weighty models!

The fundamental difference between this and the Ellaroo is stretch. And while the stretch is a godsend when you want to pop a newborn in and out of the sling for endless nappy changes and feeds etc. it can be just a bit too stretchy to support the weight of a fully formed toddler without some pretty achey shoulders being the net result!

Not to say there aren't thousands of mums out there who happily cart two year olds around for hours on end in faithful Hug-a-bubs but I know now that I'm not one of them and I'll be stashing the Hug-a-bub back where it belongs... in waiting for another newborn, 'cos the HAB is just perfect for those!

displacement theory!

As part of my working day I often have the pleasure of talking to people who are clearly as batty about nappies as me! Even surrounded by nappies and nappy paraphernalia day in, day out I still get excited about the prospect of testing something new and I still take the parcels of samples from manufacturers home as quickly as I can so the contents can be washed and tried out at the earliest possible moment (and yes, I know it won't be very absorbent after a single wash but hey, I can still evaluate the fit, can't I?)

I have a theory... when people have babies their spending habits understandably change and while it might not be possible to justify buying a new pair of shoes or a handbag for yourself - well, a new nappy? That's a necessity isn't it... especially if you are saving the planet at the same time!!

So, next time you give us a quick call to find out exactly when we'll have more Tots Wraps/Minki Huggles/Swaddlebees/Woollywraps in stock be warned... the 'former handbag addict' siren will be sounding in the background...

Caution! Stampede ahead...

After the excitement of an unexpected, unnanounced Mother-ease print launch last week we've just had confirmation of the launch of not 1 but 4 (yes, FOUR!) new wraps from Tots Bots!

As well as these very pretty prints:

they've also redesigned the wraps to incorporate leg gussets, making them more reliable and better over a much bigger range of nappies than the previous design. We're still to actually test one of these but stock is expected any day and you can preorder now, here.

out of the blue!

With very little fanfare or warning Mother-ease have launched a new wrap print! To add to the existing four 'eco theme' prints we now have stock in all sizes of both styles (Airflow & Rikki) of the brand new 'asia' print. As with the other eco theme wraps, the asia wrap print has threatened species specific to Asia including very cute pandas!