A Gratitude GIVEAWAY!!!

 Did you see that ZooNique Baby was participating in this awesome giveaway to help support and raise awareness for the work of The Rebecca Foundation's Cloth Diaper Closet? If you haven't entered yet, there is still time, just jump over to the Zephyr Hill blog here to get the details. :)

Well, I was so excited to see that the giveaway had ALREADY reached the 10,000 entry goal this morning, which would provide a donation of covers for the Cloth Diaper Closet from Zephyr Hill blogger, Anne, that I have decided to offer my own little giveaway here as a THANK YOU! :)

 Here's the scoop....

I've not been sewing many diapers lately due to a precious new addition to our family, but I do have a small stack I've been working on for donation to the diaper closet. I'd like to add one of these ADORABLE Suess Thing 1 & Thing 2 diapers to the pile in honor of YOU & YOUR Little One!

The winner of this giveaway will get to choose which of these diapers they would like to add to their own personal stash, and then the other will be donated to The Rebecca Foundation's Cloth Diaper Closet in your honor! :)

Diaper Details:

• Both are Size Medium - Made from a Babyville Boutique pattern with a weight range of 18-28lbs.
• Both are POCKET style diapers.
• Both have an inner layer of white suede-cloth
• The turned and top-stitched diaper has a snap closure, and the red FOE bound diaper has a hook & loop closure.

 To enter, simply follow the Rafflecopter prompts below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway open to anyone eligible, with a US shipping address.

Winner announced Saturday, 6/15/13 and allowed 48 hours to respond or BOTH diapers will be added to the donation pile for the Cloth Diaper Closet. *Please remember, giveaways are suppose to be fun. :) The purpose of this one is to show our support for the Cloth Diaper Closest and our gratitude for those of you that have taken the time to learn more about them and the work they are doing.*

Thanks for showing your support of the GIVING BACK efforts of The Rebecca Foundation's Cloth Diaper Closest!

The Rebecca Foundation's Cloth Diaper Closet

Hi Friends!

Today I wanted to share a new organization with you, especially for those of you in the Knoxville area.

The Rebecca Foundation's Cloth Diaper Closet.

I recently asked the founder, Amanda, if she could share a bit more about the outreach and how those interested and show their support, here's what she had to say...

When & Why was the RF Cloth Diaper Closet started? 

The Rebecca Foundation is named after the founders oldest daughter Rebecca, to help families who struggle with protecting and providing for their children. We launched the Cloth Diaper Closet in August of 2012.

Who do you hope to help with your services? 

We hope to reach families who want to provide all that they can for their children but are unable to because of financial limitations. We want to assist families that are currently receiving government assistance such as WIC, Food Stamps, etc...however every situation is different and we will try to help any family in need.

How can those interested get involved/learn more? 

We welcome all volunteers that wish to be involved. We have needs that expand from fundraising to blogging. Those that are interested in getting involved can connect with us at the following:

http://www.facebook.com/therebeccafoundation

http://www.twitter.com/rfcdcloset

http://www.therebeccafoundation.org

What types of donations are most needed? Do you accept used items? 

We will take all forms of cloth diapers new or used, and in perfect or imperfect condition; in all sizes : OS, AIO, AI2, covers, prefolds and inserts. If a diaper is in need of minor repair we have some wonderful WAHMS that have volunteered to repair these. We also will take any natural parenting items such as wraps, carriers, clothes, etc....

Are donations tax deductible?

Presently our application for 501c3 is being processed and has not been approved. This process does take time so at the moment donations are not tax deductible. For those that are wishing to donate, I don't think this should be a deciding factor to help a family in need.

How can someone apply to receive loaner diapers from the Foundation? 

On our website we have an application that can be completed however we understand that not everyone has access to a computer in that situation you may contact us via phone at 865-268-3858.

What are your long term goals for the Cloth Diaper Closet? 

Our long term goal is to reach more families in the surrounding states and eventually across the country. One organization cant help everyone and we hope to be another source for families in need. 

Green Beginnings Cloth Diaper

I have found a new diaper pattern that I love and will soon be offering from ZooNique Baby. 

Here's a peek...

It's The Green Beginnings Cloth Diaper by Fishsticks Designs.

I LOVE this pattern!!!! The mama I made this stash of diapers for LOVES these diapers too!

Meet Eli.

Yes, go ahead and soak him in a minute! He's amazing!!!

Really, he is. Eli is a living miracle. Born with a severe form of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Eli wasn't expected to survive past the day of his birth. He will be celebrating his 2nd birthday surrounded by an incredible family that adores him very soon!

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month, so in honor of Eli and the many others living with this daily challenge, I hope you will take a moment to learn more. 

Spina Bifida Association Website.

You can follow Eli's progress on his own popular Facebook page here. 

Here are some of the Green Beginning Cloth Diapers in Eli's stash...

His mother requested snap closures for the diapers, but they can also be made with a hook & loop closure option if preferred. Both look great and provide an adjustable fit.

One of my favorite features of this diaper is the way the inner fleece slightly rolls out around the legs, which helps to provide a more comfortable fit and not leave the red elastic marks around the little one's  legs.

If you are local, keep an eye out for this adorable, great fitting diaper to show up in our section of the Echelon Gift Shop soon!

Stay up to date by subscribing to this blog or joining our facebook page here.

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!

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!