10 weeks until Christmas (6 until Hanukkah)
Did that get your attention? Trust me, this year I’m counting down towards the holidays with increasing speed. I’m battling a LOT of things at once. The first being the fact that I’m pregnant and will be having a baby (fingers crossed) before then. The double whammy if you didn’t know, is not only will I have 2 kids to ‘shop’ around (because they can’t see what they’re getting, duh), but the baby will be here soon, and I will go into hiding for a few weeks. I won’t even be conscious for about 8 weeks afterward. I’m not even sure I’m conscious right now, come to think of it. Yes, I can do some shopping online, and most likely will–who doesn’t these days? Still, some of it has to be done in person. A lot of times, feeling the merchandise is just as important as the price tag on it. Until a real-feel electronic device comes out (that’s scary, isn’t it?) there’s always the chance you’ll get a dud ordering an unknown product online. So I’m feeling the pressure to get it all done, so I can get wrapping before baby shows up and grounds us all!
They’re already talking on the news about stores being open on Thanksgiving (blah-although we aren’t traveling this year so it matters less), and Black Friday deals. These ‘store holidays’ have become increasingly popular, even when you’re talking about baby items. Now, let’s face it. This little critter in my belly will be no more than…well 10 weeks old on Christmas day. Obviously. Until kids are big enough to play with toys, there’s really not much to be done for them on Christmas. A cozy outfit and diapers is about all they need, although things like extra bath soap, baby Q-tips, and change for the piggy bank all work, too. Even my favorite baby products have gotten in on the suped-up holiday action, and the brands (no dummies themselves) are prepping for it.
Tuesday a bunch of cloth diaper retailers unveiled new products and prints at a trade show in Las Vegas. First of all, lucky are those who got to go, and second of all, what an interesting mix of items that showed up there! Obviously one of my current favs is the locally based company’s pocket diaper in new prints from the bumGenius brand. With 2 ‘crazy’ artist series prints, and 2 new prints giving a ‘nod’ to geniuses Lewis Carroll and Jules Verne, there’s sure to be something to please everyone….eventually. When the artist series came out a few years ago, I was NOT crazy about them. I wanted them to be more ‘local’ in flair. You can read my snarkiness here. However, I did write to try and win one, and won a whole set of the dang things shortly after that. You know what? I ended up loving them! You just NEVER KNOW! The newest ones tip their hat to London. The genius series has also been kind of hit or miss for people, with one of my favorites being a big hit for a lot of people. You can see it modeled on a doll here. It’s totally geek-worthy, which I love! Besides the new prints (which come in nearly every style imaginable, to please everyone), the brand also came out with various other products like a newborn cloth diapering kit, covers with bright trim (replacing the 3 they’d had for a long time with a variety of colors) and other accessories. They had a LOT up their sleeves. I LOVE that this is putting some people in our area hard at work right before THEY have to celebrate with their families–it means a steady paycheck in this crazy world, ya’ll!
Another brand that released prints is Gro-Via (formerly Gro Baby-I wrote about those for the cloth diaper blog on February 9, 2011- check out published and see my take back then.) With pandas (love pandas!), poppies, paper airplanes and a really gender neutral print called sweetgrass, they’ve hit all the buttons, I think. It’s quite a varied lot and will please the ‘diapers are for babies’ and the ‘must be modern’ among us, along with everyone in between. I think they changed the ‘inner’ of their newborn diapers, too, but they only go up to 12 lbs so I won’t buy those unless we have a preemie, but I’m happy for that change, anyway! Many, many other brands also released new prints, but they’re not up on their websites yet, and I’m not going to link to their pictures without permission, but trust me, there’s a bit of something for everyone!
I bet right now, many of you are thinking, so what’s your point. Yes the holidays are coming, and yes there are new prints, and babies need diapers–so what? What I’m getting at is these 3 things colliding, all at once, for the under-2 set! The holidays are a perfect time for trying out cloth diapers–time off means time to prep/wash and give them a real test before reality sets in and work starts back up again! Instead of plastic toys from the far east, you could purchase diapers that would be re-used time and again, and that will come with huge bonus deals in about 6 weeks. Some retailers drop prices, others offer free shipping on whatever you buy, and still others offer bonus freebies, samples, and do massive giveaways all to track business to their virtual doors over that ‘Thanks-holidays’ weekend that encompasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday–not only that, but the deals can CHANGE, too, so if something doesn’t suit you right away, you might find that CM offers a better snag than BF for you! Some places even offer ‘points’ that can net you freebies, and nearly all of them also offer toys made in the USA or from better products (with better customer service) than your local megamart can offer- no matter how low they roll those prices back-so big kids aren’t left out either! Whatever is on your list, remember that this season is supposed to be merry and bright, a great remembrance, a joyous occasion, not a frantic one. Start baking and freezing cookies now, and whatever you do, don’t let the bah humbug’s take you over this year. I need all the cheeriness I can get!!!
