Merry Christmas!

We absolutely LOVE this time of year! There are so many wonderful memories for our family around the holidays and this time of year gives us a chance to celebrate and be thankful! Due to recent events, we are doing both with a whole new appreciation and inspiration and we pray it is one of the most positively memorable years for you and your families as well!

Zoonique Baby is still in a "pause" sort of place as I continue to recover from my recent surgery. For now, we have filled our display at Echelon Florist in West Knoxville, Tennessee with our carefully and uniquely hand-crafted, in-stock items, for your convenience. While we aren't sure what the New Year holds, we are looking forward full of the HOPE this Season offers!

Many Blessings to you and your families,
The Zoonique Baby Family

Email Issues....now resolved!

We have had technical issues over the past 4-6 weeks that may have resulted in lost emails. If you have had trouble getting in touch with us by email, we apologize and ask that you please try again. Everything appears to be resolved and back on track! Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Slowing Down for a Bit

This time of year we are usually "gearing up", getting ready for the holidays ahead and sewing even more. Well, sometimes life has a way of slowing things down for us, and that's where we are with ZooNique Baby.

All of ZooNique designs are sewn by me, one mama, working in my home studio. I recently experienced an injury to my arm requiring surgery. The recovery time for me to regain the use of my arm is estimated to be around 4 months, so I & therefore ZooNique Baby will be taking a break as I heal.

For now, all of our ready made products can be found in-stock at Echelon Florist & Gifts in West Knoxville. We anticipate being back in full swing early 2010. We will keep you posted!

Thanks for your prayers and continued support!
:) Your ZooNique Family

Besides Diapers.....

We hand-craft lots of adorable baby items that are perfect for your little one or as a gift for a shower or new baby. Take a look at some of our other ZooNique Baby creations....

Super Soft & Luxurious Reversible Bibs

Custom & Designer Wetbags

Gentle, Reusable Cloth Wipes

Fun Doll Carriers - so they can wear their babies just like Mommy & Daddy!

Doll Diapers

We also enjoy making one of a kind designs like these for infants, toddlers and older children as well....One of a Kind VINTAGE Designs

Special Requests from Special Lil' People

Stylish Hair Accessories

We proudly offer other quality products that are sure to provide a unique option for your stylish baby or special gift giving. These include....

Crocheted Baby Booties by "Grandma's Goodies"

Custom Collaborations with "Threads of Hope Boutique"

And the ever growing, changing, stylish & functional BabyLegs!

So, in addition to thinking of us for your cloth diapering needs, think of us for all of those special occasion, hand-crafted, one of a kind gifts for the young ones in your life!

ZooNique Baby - Unique, Family Focused, Earth Friendly Designs

FAQ - Why & How to "strip" diapers?

A procedure often heard of in the cloth diaper world is to "strip" your diapers. What is this? Why do you have to do it? and How is it done? are all questions that follow.

WHAT? - To "strip" your diapers is to remove various types of build up from the inner layer of your cloth diapers.

WHY? - It can become necessary to "strip" your diapers for several reasons, all of which can cause your diapers to leak and lead to recurring rashes (neither of which are desirable for you or your baby!). The leaking occurs due to build up on the inner layer of fabric causing that fabric to repel liquid rather than wick it away from baby's skin. Build up can be caused by several things such as, diaper creams that aren't cloth diaper safe, detergents that contain additives that can build up on the fabric over time, or use of fabric softeners and dryer sheets. It is my opinion that attentive care of one's cloth diaper stash can prevent, or at least lessen the need/frequency of having to "strip" the diapers.

HOW? - In nearly 2 1/2 years time, we have only had to "strip" our diaper stash 2 times....both times we could directly connect the problem to the source. The first time, it was due to "over the counter" diaper cream and the second, well....we were kind of experimenting with ways to freshen our stash and got a little over zealous with the Borax! :) (FYI, less is better.) Here is how we do it.

• Fill the sink with Hot water and the diapers.
• Using a grease fighting dish liquid, we chose Dawn since we had heard it suggested most often by other cloth diapering parents, squirt a small amount on the inside of each diaper and scrub with a dish brush. (we suggest labeling this brush "for diapers" so it doesn't end up being used on your dishes later!) ;)
• Allow the diapers to soak in the sudsy, hot water for 30 minutes - 1 hour after scrubbing.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Run through your regular diaper wash/rinse routine, and you should be ready to go again!

It really isn't hard, just takes a bit of time. And when in most cases can be prevented, it's worth taking the measures to prevent the issue and save that time for something fun....like cuddling your baby!

Best wishes for healthy, leak-free cloth diapers!

Monkey N' Around!

Fun Pirate Monkey prints! We love these!

FAQ - What detergent is best for washing cloth diapers?

We try to offer answers to lots of different questions from our customers and cloth diapering friends. Many of these questions are often the same, so we are going to begin "FAQ-Frequently Asked Questions" posts to highlight some of these in hopes that it can be helpful to others.

THE ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE SIMPLY OUR SUGGESTIONS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. THERE ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST, AND WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THE LABEL & CONSIDER THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF YOUR FAMILY FIRST.

FAQ #1 - What detergent is best for washing cloth diapers?

Why it matters: Function and healthy skin. Detergent additives can cause build up on the inside of your diapers. This build up creates a barrier that will often repel liquid, causing leaks. The biggest culprits of this type of build up are softeners and oils, as well as, dry sheets...you don't want to use any of these with your cloth diapers.
In addition, diapers washed with detergents containing perfume or dyes can often become irritating to baby's skin and cause rashes.

What we recommend: We believe it is best to use only additive free detergents for your diapers to function properly and endure lengthy use. Additive free means no softeners, no bleach, no perfumes, no dyes, no oils....just plain ol' washing goodness! We have chosen to use Charlie's Soap http://www.charliesoap.com/ We use this detergent for all of our laundry and being a family with sensitive skin, we love that it gets the job done while still being gentle on our skin. It costs around $8 for a bag that washes 80 loads, and if using this only for your diaper laundry, would then last for 160 loads.

What we've heard from others: There are other detergents that we have heard also offer a great option for cloth diaper care. These include Allen's, Country Save & Free & Clear detergents. With Free & Clear detergents, again, we suggest that you read the label, as we have heard some reports of the Free & Clear detergents still containing some additives that over time caused build up on the inside of the diapers, in turn causing leaks.
We've even heard of families that continued using the same detergents they always had....some with no problems, others had to "strip" their diapers from time to time to remove build up.
Being that cloth diaper loads only require half the suggested amount of detergent, any of these options are going to be long lasting and cost effective.
For those looking for an even less expensive option, we've heard of mixtures of common household items like Dawn dish liquid, baking soda & vinegar, so you can certainly be creative since there really are many possibilities. (we just chose the simple route!) :)

POINT TO REMEMBER: Less is more! Stay away from perfumes, dyes, softeners, oils and other additives when choosing a detergent for your diaper care system.

Concerned about stains and lingering odor? Want to know how to "strip" your diapers when necessary? Stay tuned for our next FAQ posts!

Why we do what we do......

Our family loves cloth diapering. We love the many benefits cloth diapers offer, including financial savings and environmental kindness. We love the feeling it gives us to believe that we are truly doing what is best for our baby. We love that I am able to do my job from home while raising our family. We love that it's an opportunity for our children to witness our work and the results of our efforts firsthand. These are all reasons we started our small, home based, family business. However, there is a much bigger reason, a much more meaningful inspiration than even these things.....

We started Zoonique Baby as a tangible way to give to those in need. Particularly orphans. We believed, and still do, that these father and motherless children deserve the very best as well. We have experienced the overwhelming blessing it has brought to our lives to reach out to these precious little people and so look forward to the opportunities ahead! But, to back track just a little and tell you "the rest of the story".

About 3 years ago now, we were excitedly following some close friends who were expecting a son to join their family. This precious child was already born and awaiting them in an overseas orphanage. As we followed the regular updates they would receive about his care and growth and atmosphere, it became very clear to us that there are many, many children worldwide who live with so little. Even struggling with just basic needs being met on a daily basis. This was something that wouldn't settle well inside me, and I had a prayer to find some way to help. Some tangible way, but they were so far from where I was geographically.

In a matter of days, my friend sent an email of a mother who was picking up her own child from a nearby orphanage of her son's, and the mother was expressing the needs of the children she witnessed. One of the first on her list was cloth diapers. Well, at this point, I had been sewing diapers for my own new baby, friends and for a worthy US organization, Miracle Diapers, so you can imagine my immediate thoughts and excitement upon learning that something I was already doing (and love doing!) could also help these babies so far away! I immediately set to work, and our first huge box of cloth diapers, wipes and baby care supplies accompanied my friends to an orphanage just months later when they traveled to bring their son home.

THE BUG HAD OFFICIALLY BIT!

The "letdown" of sorts that swept over me when I realized our project was complete was enough to prove this didn't have to be an isolated event. This could and should carry on. Our family's prayer to offer tangible aid to orphans had been answered, and we continue to actively pursue opportunities to love these children from the distance we have to. We have sent multiple boxes of baby care supplies to various countries across the world. We've organized local sewing events to assist and equip mission teams with materials to deliver on their trips. We work with organizations like Annabelle's Wish and our local FBCK's Outreach 2 Orphans to continue to bring cloth diapers and other comfort and necessity items to babies/children in need, and our family continues to receive overwhelming blessings for doing so!

While we love our Zoonique Baby customers, spending time with local families assisting them in their own cloth diapering adventures, educating people about the benefits and ease of using cloth diapers today, the core of why we do what we do is still, and will always be the faces of the children across the world, now etched on our hearts, that we have been given the unique and tangible gift of loving through cloth diapers!

Thank you for your support.

SNEAK PEEK!!!

Here's a little peek at some of the NEW PRINTS we have coming in right now! We are so excited! Lots of cute ones for boys, girls and gender neutral prints as well. As always, all our prints are limited in quantity so don't miss out if there is something you LOVE! :)
Oh my! Oh my! What to cut and sew first??? I just don't know! :) SUCH FUN!

Celebrating INDEPENDENCE DAY!

These fun prints were part of a special series to help celebrate the 4th of July and show our patriotism! We have dear friends and family who serve our country through the Armed Forces, and we are so very grateful to them for the enormous sacrifices they make daily!

Hope you and yours have a safe and memorable Independence Day!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

FRESH PICKED!

Getting in the Summer spirit around here and gearing up for all those YUMMY picnics! One of our favorite picnic treats of course......WATERMELON! The obvious inspiration for this fun set of ZooNique Baby designs.

WHY ZOONIQUE?

So what makes ZooNique Baby cloth diapers special? What makes them different from the rest? Why should someone choose ZooNique Baby cloth diapers over others? Well, we're so glad you asked! :)

Here are some of the things that make ZooNique Diapers....ZOONIQUE!

• Individually Hand-crafted - Our diapers are individually made from start to finish, not mass produced. This offers you a quality product with a unique, often one of a kind style. We love what we do and trust you can tell that from our finished products.
• Front Opening - Unlike most "pocket" style diapers, ZooNique Diapers insert opening is on the outside, front of the diaper rather than the back. The main reasoning for this is to make diaper changes and insert removal cleaner. Since the mess is on the inside, it made perfect sense to us that our hands wanted to be on the outside!
• Wider Opening - The insert opening is wider to make placing the insert easier, especially in our Medium and Large sized diapers.
• TRUE Small - Our Small diaper is made with baby's comfort in mind! We have specifically made the crotch are of this size diaper more narrow for this reason. We also make special smaller inserts to use with these. While placing the insert in our Small diapers may require a little extra effort than our Medium and Large, your baby will be so thankful for the better fit!
• Cushioned Tummy Panel - The snap front tummy area where you place your insert provides a little extra padding against baby's tender tummy. We love that this also prevents the "velcro" fastener from rolling in towards baby's skin.
• Unique Designs - We are constantly on the search for more fun prints and embellishments for our diapers so there is ALWAYS something new to offer!
• Customer Service - ZooNique Baby takes great pride in providing top notch customer service! We love our customers and want to assist and encourage them in their cloth diapering and natural parenting adventure anyway we can!

ZOONIQUE BABY - UNIQUE, FAMILY FOCUSED, EARTH FRIENDLY

New Features!

FLEXIBILITY. A key ingredient to a happy life! (and a successful business!) We take this approach with our diapers and if we feel there is a change to our style that will make them more functional, user friendly or comfortable for baby we make the change! If we find a component that is of better quality, we switch. Here are some of the most recent things we have done to make our ZooNique Baby Cloth Diapers even better.

* APLIX brand hook & loop - We've switched all of our diapers over to Aplix hook and loop because it is the highest quality we've found and is both durable and super soft.

* HIDDEN SNAPS - The snaps that close the insert opening on the front of our diaper are now hidden! This is one of our favorite new features, since the snaps no longer touch baby's delicate skin!

* CUSHIONED TUMMY PANEL - This is more of a hidden new feature, but one that makes the diaper easier to fasten, as well as, more comfortable for baby. The tummy panel has a little more "squish" to it now, which helps keep the loop fastener on the front from rolling in towards baby's skin.

* FUN NEW PRINTS! - And as always, we are keeping fun, new prints rolling in all the time! Here's a sample.... Ooga Booga, Ice Giraffes & Mint Chocolate Zoo .... TOO CUTE!

Happy Anniversary ZooNique Baby!

It's hard to believe that we are celebrating 1 year in business this month! While ZooNique Baby was on our hearts and in our minds for sometime longer, we officially filed and signed all the forms to start our business in May 2008. We are so excited about what this year has brought and taught us and are looking forward to expanding our outreach and sharing our information and love for cloth diapers with more growing families!

We have made many adjustments to our ZNB Diaper Pattern, we have added many new items like Fitted Diapers, Diaper Covers and Nursing Pads....often at the inspiring request of our precious customers! Our products have been tried and tested by numerous families and babies of all shapes, sizes and ages. AND.....We have big plans for what we'd like to see in the next year for ZooNique Baby, but are patiently waiting as it unfolds at a pace that is perfect and manageable for our family. As our tag line says, we are Family Focused! In our home, in our business, with our products and with our time and energy. Family is the core of all we do and the reason for why we do what we do. Keeping that as our focus allows everything else to stay in perspective. :)

We hope you will join us on this ZooNique adventure and learn, share, be encouraged and excited about how your family too can demonstrate being UNIQUE, FAMILY FOCUSED & EARTH FRIENDLY!