My husband is on holiday this week and was very excited when logging onto www.odt.co.nz to read today’s newspaper online. Featured on the front page is a full colour photo and article on cloth nappies and the new Dunedin cloth nappy subsidy. Well done to Michelle Andrews and Abbe Hoogsteden-Gale.

And Dunedinites are just fantastic. I’ve noticed that two houses opposite my eldest daughter’s school, and a house opposite my youngest son’s kindergarten all regularly have modern cloth nappies drying outside in the sun and fresh air. Dunedin sure is a wonderful place to be.

We were extremely lucky to have our youngest completely toilet train himself while away camping this Christmas …. he’s a boy, so it can get a bit messy if he loses focus or is in a rush. While visiting Karyn’s website over at Mother’s Instinct, I had to have a wee chuckle when I saw one of her new products called Wee Targets.

Awesome!!! Definitely a sure fire way to keep you’re little man’s focus in the right place. A must see if you’re about to approach potty or toilet training with the little man in your life.

For more info on what’s happening over at Mother’s Instinct, keep an eye on Karyn’s blog.

Photo courtesy of www.mothersinstinct.co.nz.

Scamps are running a competition for Christmas. All you have to do is answer three questions correctly to go into the draw to win one of three Christmas giftboxes.  First prize is worth $180…

Visit Scamps at www.scamps.co.nz or click here to go directly to their competition.

Scamps is your one stop online shop for your nappy needs and accessories. They carry a huge selection of nappies, which are all available in their unique Scamps Nappy Trial Packs.

Scamps also stock various brands of popular swim nappies and training pants!

Visit their website for more info at www.scamps.co.nz.

Oh la la …. Tweedle are now offering embroidered nappies with some absolutely gorgeous designs. Including various fonts to customise with words of your choice such as baby’s name.

Click here for product information, and here for the gallery of designs.

www.tweedle.co.nz

Will add some pics shortly, so go on, pop on over to Tweedle for a nosey.

Kit Contents:

• 18 nappies (fitteds, AIO, Pockets, one size)
• 3 prefolds
• 6covers and soakers
• 10 inserts and boosters
• Flats
• 12 microfleece liners
• Accessories: snappi, Dandelionz wipe, washing bag, Eco-store laundry sample, a few freebies
• Number of kits available: 2
• Notes: Some premature nappies and covers available if baby comes early.

You can choose 13 nappies from the above and I will include 3 prefolds. I’m open to suggestions as I’m still buying new nappies!

Hireage cost: $9 per week
Bond: $50

Area: Auckland/Nationwide
Delivery: Delivered & collected anywhere in West/East Auckland, otherwise courier delivery required both ways (signature required).

Contact: Click here to email Karen.

Louise has added some new naps to her hire kits. Here’s a wee preview:

For more info on Little Blessings Newborn Hire Kits click here.

The Gisborne District Council have cancelled their cloth nappy scheme.  For more information contact the council.

Press Release 30 July 2007

Plunket Society blocks advertising by cloth nappy companies because of Huggies sponsorship

When young parents visit their local Plunket nurse to talk about baby care, you assume that the information they receive is unbiased, and allows them to make their own choices. However, it has become apparent that Kimberly-Clark, who produce Huggies disposable nappies, have bought silence from all local Plunket Societies on the subject of cloth nappies.

An Auckland-based reusable nappy company, Snazzipants, has recently been denied advertising space in the Milford Plunket newsletter – distributed to around 300 families. Snazzipants is a family-run business, locally manufacturing reusable nappies as well as importing products from overseas. It has been running for four years as an online business, and recently opened a retail shop in the Auckland suburb of Milford.

After being contacted by the local Plunket Secretary and asked to advertise in the local Plunket newsletter, Snazzipants placed a $55 advert. However, a day later, Susan Rae, of the Milford branch of Plunket, phoned, embarrassed to admit that although she had sought the advertising, Plunket were not able to accept an advert from a cloth nappy company. Director and mother-of-two Pippa Jinks and her business partner Maria were astonished to be told that the head office of the Plunket Society had vetoed the advert as reusable nappies are in competition with Huggies. Kimberly-Clark is the largest sponsor of Plunket.

This is all the more surprising given that the cloth nappy market is very small in comparison to the disposable nappy market. Since more than 90% of all nappy changes in New Zealand are still made with disposable nappies, a newsletter distributed to 300 families would seem to be inconsequential. Plunket’s choice to align itself with the disposable giant is a serious form of censorship.

Plunket is not the only organisation to forbid cloth nappy advertising in local newsletters. Parents Centre New Zealand has forbidden centres around the country from naming any brands of reusable nappies in their antenatal classes because of a contract with Huggies. Athough volunteers are allowed to discuss reusable nappies in general terms, they may not tell people where to go to buy them. Local Parents Centres are forbidden to enter into any new relationships with cloth nappy companies who wish to advertise in their newsletters.

Susan Rae of Milford Plunket said that after three years using disposable nappies, she made the switch to cloth by ordering products from Canada – unaware that three blocks down from her house was the specialist Snazzipants cloth nappy shop!

Reusable nappies are a huge cost saving for young families, and the obvious benefits in terms of reduction of hazardous landfill material would make anyone think that organisations who claim to support young families would be happy to provide information on such a beneficial change. Is it even legal for Plunket and Huggies to deny advertising in such a way to a company providing information on an alternative option to disposables, rather than a competing disposable product?

Where to next for Snazzipants – a small company with an annual turnover of a couple of hundred thousand dollars –how can they take on a global corporation? “Times are changing in New Zealand and more and more people are realising there are other options to throwing away 7 plastic nappies a day for 3 years, creating a ton or two of biohazard waste that won’t break down!” say the directors. “Unfortunately they have to hunt us down – as we are not allowed to advertise in the most accessible parenting forums.”

We wonder whether the mums and dads who put their hands into their own pockets each year when the Plunket collector knocks on their door are aware that they are supporting an organisation which has given up all pretence of offering unbiased advice?

For further information please contact :
Pippa Jinks (09) 482 4288
Maria Jinks (09) 445 4602
Email: snazzipants@slingshot.co.nz
Fax: (09)445 4638
Web: www.snazzipants.co.nz

It’s that time again! We are proud to announce our sponsorship of the third semi-annual Great Down Under Nappy Hunt™!

How does the GDUNH work? It’s simple! You register at http://www.diaperdecisions.com/pages/greatnappyhunt.php on or after July 15, 2007. Then you visit all the participating sponsor sites and hunt for the Diaper Decisions™ nappy, to earn entries to the 21 random prize drawings, including Three Grand Prizes!

For more details about this great event, please visit the Rules and FAQ pages at http://www.diaperdecisions.com/pages/greatnappyhunt.php .

See you at the hunt!