May 2013 Fan of the Month: Kylee Durant

We are so excited to present our first ever Fan of the Month, the lovely Kylee Durant!  A long-time twinkie tush supporter and a bright and encouraging member of the twinkie tush community, we are thrilled to have gotten to know her so much better through this feature!  Read her interview below!

What is your full name?

Kylee Ann Durant

Where are you from? (City/State/Country) Where do you live now?

I am originally from Cedar Springs, Michigan, USA. Our family currently lives in Bamberg, Germany at USAG Bamberg, as my husband is an Active Duty US Army soldier.

How many children do you have and what are their ages?

I have three wonderful children. Reagan is 6.5-years-old, Colton is 4-years-old, and Theodore (Teddy) is 19 months.

How/when did you find twinkie tush?

After not knowing much about cloth diapering when we started with Colton, I decided to really do my research when I found out I was pregnant with Teddy. I discovered the amazing world of fitted cloth diapers when I stumbled across the Twinkie Tush page and blog on Hyena Cart. A lot of my fellow cloth diapering mommy friends on the social media page I frequented could not rave about them enough. This was June 2011. Coincidently, I was put on strict bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy at about this time. That was a very tough period of time for me emotionally, as well as physically. I clung to little things that helped me get through the daunting amount of days and weeks ahead of me. The excitement of previews every Tuesday and stockings every Wednesday were something I looked forward to. Cheesy? Maybe. But I think any mama who has ever been on bed rest for an extended period of time can relate!

What is your favorite twinkie tush print of all time?

Davenport is my all time favorite. The perfect floral for a boy!

Do you have an ultimate ISO print?

My ultimate ISO print is Sanctuary. I love it!

What is your favorite personal non-parenting related, non-work related hobby?

I am a book worm :) Reading is my passion. I love historical non-fiction/fiction. I try to read at least 3 books a month.

What makes you feel most inspired or grounded? How do you take care of yourself and your spirit?

My faith grounds me the most. I seek out uplifting and encouraging books, blogs, and devotions on a daily basis. I love that social media gives me the opportunity to experience so many great resources. Being a mother and a wife is hard work! Life is hard work too. I also thrive off of face-to-face interaction with women who are going through the same life experiences as me, including being a military wife. I am an active member of my local PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) chapter on my military post. 3 hours child-free with other ladies who just want to do life together. It is refreshing and encouraging.

What is your favorite activity to do with your children?

Living in Europe has afforded us an amazing opportunity to travel…a lot! We love to travel as a family and share the amazing world that we live in with our children. We always experience amazing adventures and they love experiencing new cultures and languages (and food)! So far we have been to 10 different countries in just over a year!

What is/was your favorite place to visit?

My favorite place that I have visited would have to be Scotland. The people, the scenery, and the food! Although, driving on the other side of the road (and car) is pretty interesting :) We hope to go back before our time in Germany is over.

What twinkie tush attribute and/or philosophy do you most appreciate?

Honestly, all of the ethos that Twinkie Tush embodies are what keep me as a loyal customer and huge fan. Specifically, the sense of community is what I really appreciate. Gretchen and Mike have created a community and a fan base that seems more like a family than a following. We are interested in more than each other's stashes and scores. We are interested in helping one another and caring for one another. Our TT community has experienced several losses and personal hardships. Gretchen and Mike are the first to step in to offer their help, and without hesitation. Gretchen has an amazing gift. She creates diapers that are not only high quality, but small pieces of art because she uses the best fabrics and the highest quality materials. Instead of choosing to merely profit off this gift, TT chooses to bless others by using their gift for the greater good. This is a lesson I teach my own children. Use your gift for the greater good. Twinkie Tush has nailed this.

What would you tell someone who has yet to try a twinkie tush diaper?

I have tried many types, styles, and brands of cloth diapers over the past 3+ years! Some work out, and some don't. Some grow with your baby to a certain point and you have to move on to another option. The only brand that I have continuously used since Teddy was only 2 months old till now is Twinkie Tush. The absorbency and quality are unmatched. And in exchange for a premium fitted diaper, you are supporting a wonderful family that reaches beyond their home into the lives of others; supporting the cloth diaper community any way they can and spreading positivity into 5,000+ other homes with families just like theirs.

Tell us your funniest cloth-diapering or parenting story!

Shipping our diapers to Germany was hilarious! The military gave us two shipments when we sent our personal belongings over here: an advance shipment and a large, household goods shipment. I chose to send my diapers in our advance shipment so I would have them as soon as we landed in Germany. The military hires professional packers to pack up your things. I wish I would have snapped a picture of their faces when they got to Teddy's diaper stash :) Confusion, side-eye…it was so funny! But after the initial shock wore off, I was able to explain cloth diapers and how to use and care for them. A hilarious moment turned into a teachable moment. It was great. We are moving again this summer to a new base in Germany, so it will be interesting to see if we get the same reaction from German packers :)

Tell us about one of the most meaningful parenting experiences you have had.

I think the birth of all three of my children would have to be the most meaningful parenting experiences I have ever had. Reagan was our first and we were team green. When she was born, the doctor turned her towards me first so I was able to announce to the room (and my husband) "it's a girl!". My son Colton was born at Fort Campbell, KY only a week and a half after moving there. My husband was at the firing range and had to be driven at top speed in a humvee to make it to the hospital. That pretty much describes Colton's personality: top speed :) Theodore is a miracle baby. We were told that we could loose him at any moment at 22 weeks. After 3.5 long months of bed rest, we welcomed him into this world with tears of praise and thanksgiving. He defeated the odds stacked against him. I consider all of my children precious gifts and I could not imagine life without them. Parenting is hard work, but the ultimate reward is the "I love you" 's and kisses at the end of the day. It makes all the hard times worth it.

Kylee, we can't thank you enough for sharing so much with us, about yourself and your family, and for being a part of the twinkie tush community.  It is such a privilege and a pleasure to get to know you better!

For more details about our Fan of the Month feature, including information about how to become a twinkie tush FotM, please see this blog post.

The official "How do stockings work on twinkietush.com?" post! :)

How do stockings work on twinkietush.com?

Every Wednesday, we stock new diapers on our website, www.twinkietush.com.  Stocking times alternate between 2pm and 8pm EST.  Listings are visible by Wednesday morning and listings contain information about the exact time at which items will be available.

A feature that is unique to our site: there is no need to refresh your browsers when waiting for an item to become available either initially or from a pending status!  When you are on a specific listing's page and you do not see the Add to Cart button, three possibilities exist:

1. The item is not yet available.

 - If it's more than 1 hour from the available time, the date and time of availability will be posted.

 - If it's 60 minutes or less from the available time, there will be a countdown clock running. When that clock reaches 0:00:00, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

2. The item is carted by another shopper.

- In this scenario, you will see the window of time in which the item may become available for sale again. If the item is not purchased by the original customer, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

3. The item is sold out.

Refreshing your browser, while on a specific item's page, will in fact lessen your chances of successfully carting the item.

If you are viewing the “all items” page or a sub-category page showing multiple listings, you do need to refresh in order to see items go from available to pending to sold out.

Items with multiple quantities are listed in a single listing.  When an item has a quantity of >1, the listing will not go to “pending” until the full quantity is carted.

Once you have clicked “Add to Cart” and have been taken to your cart:

1 - Look at your cart carefully.  If you have successfully carted the item, you will see a running clock on the righthand side of the screen (counting down the 10 minute payment window).  If you do not see a running clock, it means that you have not in fact successfully carted the item, and that it is carted by another shopper.  In that case you will also see an error message in your cart, letting you know that the item is in fact in another shopper’s cart.  I know this may take some getting used to, but it was the best workaround we found in order to allow the dynamic clock and other key site features to function well.

Another thing to look at is the quantity you have selected.  If you clicked “Add to Cart” quickly and repeatedly, you may have inadvertently added more than one of the same diaper to your cart.  If you add more than what is available, the action will fail.  Again, in that scenario, you will not have a running clock.  The lack of a running clock means that the attempt to cart the item has failed.

2 – Once you have ensured that you have the correct quantity and a running clock in your cart, you are ready to proceed!  You have 10 minutes to complete your transaction before the carted item is placed back into the available inventory. A running countdown clock is present in your shopping cart, and a message providing a specific window of time that the item may become available again is shown on the listing page for all remaining shoppers.  You are ready to click “Check Out” and complete your order!

3 – Proceed with checkout as outlined in this flickr album!  Should you need to change your shipping address, you must do so ON twinkietush.com, as shown in the album.  Please also note that while multiple people can sign into the same account, the cart contents will not transfer from computer to computer or even browser to browser.  If you want to ship to another party you must change the shipping address on twinkietush.com and check out on their behalf.

A few other things to note:

- Item statuses are shown on the product main pages as well as the All Items page for quick reference. You do not need to go into the specific item page to see if it is available for purchase. However, as I mentioned above, these pages do need to be refreshed to see status changes.

- Past Items will now be saved and viewable in the Past Items category.

- Again, shipping addresses must now be changed during the checkout process on twinkietush.com - NOT IN PAYPAL. Once you reach PayPal, no changes should be made. Any attempt to change a shipping address or order information once in PayPal may result in your losing the item.

- If you haven’t already, please make sure to check out the flickr album we created to illustrate the checkout process.  Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinkietush/sets/72157632180627116/

Please let me know if you have any questions!  You can reach us via email at info@twinkietush.com. 

Thank you so much!

Gretchen

twinkie tush Diaper of the Month Club!

We have another new feature to announce, this time at our online store!  This idea was suggested by a member of the twinkie tush community and we can’t thank her enough for it!  We’re so excited to be offering it beginning this month!  Without further ado, here it is:

Introducing the twinkie tush Diaper of the Month Club!

Beginning this week, we will be offering memberships in the twinkie tush Diaper of the Month Club via our Hyena Cart store in 3 and 6 month increments.  By purchasing a membership you are signing up to receive a special Diaper of the Month print each month for the duration of your membership!

You may choose either a boyish/GN or a girly membership, and you may choose a single size and finishing style which will be used for all of your diapers.  For now all diapers made for the Diaper of the Month Club will be made with cotton velour inners.

For example your membership selection may look like this:

Gretchen Gilpin

6 month membership

Girly prints

OS sizing

Serged

Or:

Gretchen Gilpin

3 month membership

Boyish/GN prints

little tush sizing

Turned

Membership in twinkie tush’s Diaper of the Month Club is priced as follows (all prices include US domestic first class shipping).

3 month membership for OS or little tush diapers:

-          Paid in full at time of purchase: $126

-          Paid by the month: $44 per month ($132)

6 month membership for OS or little tush diapers:

-          Paid in full at time of purchase: $246

-          Paid by the month: $44 per month ($264)

3 month membership for teenie tush (newborn size) diapers:

-          Paid in full at time of purchase: $94.50

-          Paid by the month: $33 per month ($99)

6 month membership for teenie tush (newborn size) diapers:

-          Paid in full at time of purchase: $189

-          Paid by the month: $33 per month ($198)

The prices listed here include domestic US first class shipping.  If you choose to upgrade to domestic US Priority shipping there will be an additional charge of $1.45 per month ($4.35 for 3 months or $8.70 for 6 months).  If you would like to add shipping insurance there will be an additional charge of $1.95 per month ($5.85 for 3 months or $11.70 for 6 months).

Canadian shipping is at an additional charge of $5.95 per month if you would like diapers sent individually.  If you would prefer that we hold diapers and ship 2 or 3 at a time you can save significantly on this cost.  We offer this option to our International customers only – please email for details!  If you live outside of the US or Canada, please email for rates before purchasing a membership.

If you choose to pay for your membership in full at time of purchase you will not be billed for anything additional!  If you choose to pay by the month for your membership you will be invoiced every month beginning with the second month and will have 7 days to complete payment.  If payment is not completed, your membership will be suspended for the month.  2 months of non-payment will cause your membership to expire completely.

Now about the diapers you will be receiving with your membership:

With a 3 month membership you will receive one diaper in each of our $35, $42, and $45 price points over the course of the membership (1 diaper per month). (Price points for teenie tush are $27, $29, and $32.)

 With a 6 month membership you will receive 2 diapers in each of the same price points over the course of the membership (1 diaper per month).

These prints will be limited edition.  While we may stock a few of the diapers after the Club of the Month orders have been fulfilled, they will not be made available in large quantities at our stockings.  I’m so excited to choose the prints and stripes we will use for this club! :)

Prints will not be previewed until diapers have shipped – you will have a surprise print or stripe each month, and one that a lot of thought has gone into!

We will list the first of these memberships this week and the membership diapers will ship in mid-May, June, and July for 3 month memberships (and on through Aug, Sept, and Oct for 6 month memberships).  Monthly invoices, if applicable, will be sent approximately 4 weeks before shipment of the next month’s diaper.

I will announce on facebook when the memberships are available for purchase!  Meanwhile, please let me know if you have any questions and thank you so much! :)

The official twinkie tush Dibs Pass post!

All you should know about twinkie tush Dibs Passes

What is a Dibs Pass?

A Dibs Pass is a way to bypass a stocking itself, "claiming" a diaper during previews!

How do I win a Dibs Pass?

We occasionally hold Dibs Pass drawings on our main facebook page and we also offer them as prizes in our photo contests and more!  Keep an eye on our facebook page for opportunities to win a Dibs Pass!

I've won a Dibs Pass!  Now how do I use it? 

You need only comment on a preview photo on facebook by 10pm EST on a preview day within the date parameters given when you won your pass, with something to the effect of “I am going to use my dibs pass for one of these diapers”.  Then follow up with an email to info@twinkietush.com so that we can over available options. You will then be given a private payment link!

Certain prints may not be claim-able via Dibs Pass or Ultimate Dibs Pass and that will be stated during previews. Additionally with certain prints only one Dibs Pass may be used, on a first come first served basis. Again that will be stated along with the preview photos.  

How does payment work with a standard Dibs Pass?

Standard Dibs Passes offer no discount on the claimed diaper.  The retail price and associated shipping costs will be due upon checkout (unless free shipping is specified along with the prize).  A Dibs Pass entitles you to claim a single diaper for purchase within the date parameters given when you win your pass.

What is an Ultimate Dibs Pass?

The Ultimate Dibs Pass is like a regular Dibs Pass, but entitles the winner not just to claim a diaper for purchase, but to take it home for free!  The process for using the pass is the same, but rather than checking out with a private link you will simply supply your shipping address.  An Ultimate Dibs Pass entitles you to claim a single diaper at no cost within the date parameters given when you win your pass.

Anything else I need to know?

Dibs passes are non-transferable and hold no monetary value.  

If you have any further questions about Dibs Passes please let us know by emailing info@twinkietush.com!

twinkie tush Fan of the Month!

We are so excited to announce a new feature that will be part of this blog and our facebook page: twinkie tush Fan of the Month! :)  Here is what you need to know:

The twinkie tush Fan of the Month (FOTM) feature gives us and our community the opportunity to get to know each other better!  For the next few months we will try out this feature and if it’s as fun and rewarding as we believe it will be it will become a twinkie tush tradition!  We reserve the right to tweak it as needed over the next few months of course! :)

The first week of each month we will open for entries!  Anyone interested in being considered for twinkie tush Fan of the Month can email info@twinkietush.com with the following information:

- Your name

- The last twinkie tush diaper you received (can be purchased from us directly or in the second-hand market, a gift, or a trade!)

- A little bit about yourself, your relationship with twinkie tush, and why you would like to be FOTM!

Entries will close after the first 7 days of the month, and by the 15^th of the month we will choose the next month’s FOTM!  If you are chosen we will then contact you via email to let you know you have been selected and to ask you to answer some fun and relevant questions.  We will also ask for a photo of you with your child(ren).  We will need this photo and your responses back within 7 days.  This mini “interview” will be posted on our blog in a monthly spotlight post and/or on our main facebook page.  We may also choose to use your photo on our facebook page or blog! :)

If you are selected as Fan of the Month you will receive an Ultimate Dibs Pass that must be redeemed during your month. :)  Details about the Ultimate Dibs Pass can be found here!

Entries for May’s Fan of the Month will open tomorrow morning and will stay open through April 7^th!  We can’t wait to get this fun new feature launched!! :)  Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you so much!

March Group Custom drawings! :)

We will be drawing Groups very shortly for March 2013 Group Custom slots! :)  Even if you are experienced with our Group Custom process please read through this post as there are some big changes this month!

*If you are new to twinkie tush, welcome!  Please note that this is not the only way to purchase one of our diapers. ;)  Read this page for lots of basic twinkie tush information!

Additionally please note that this process is as complex as it is only in order to meet the needs of customers, both new and returning.  It is designed to be fair, and we feel that with the latest changes, outlined below, it will be more enjoyable for everyone!

The major change for the month is that we will not be posting an entry thread on facebook!  No need to be at our FB page at a specific time and rush to get your entry in!  Only an email is required this month, and it can be sent at any time over the course of 3 days!  *We strongly recommend sending it on the early side so that you can confirm with your group(s) that all entries have been submitted, with the process being so different this time around.

So here’s what you need to do to enter your group:

Once we open for entries (this month the entry timeframe will be the wee hours of Wednesday March 27^th through midnight eastern on Friday March 29^th), please send an email to groupcustoms@twinkietush.com. The email subject must read something like “March Group Custom Entry: Team Name (eg The flying whizbees)”. Your team name and the words "March Entry" or "March Group Custom Entry" must be included in the subject line of the email and all Group members must be cc'ed on this email.

The email must contain a link to a google spreadsheet or an attached Excel spreadsheet (please do not C&P in the body of the email) containing the following information for each Group member:

1 - Full member name

2 - Member name as it appears in paypal account

3 - Member contact email

4 - Member paypal email

5 - serged or turned preference.

6 – sizing preference (one size, little tush, or teenie tush)

7 - individual choice of cotton velour or organic bamboo velour (more info on this below)

If any of those elements are missing (no team name in subject, any info missing from the spreadsheet, missing team member cc's, etc.) your Group will not be eligible to obtain the slot. (This is just to keep things fair.)  We recommend reviewing your spreadsheets before sending them in to double-check that everything is present.

*Please do not write “TBD” for your sizing, finishing style or cv/obv preference unless you want me to decide for you!  :)

Once the entry time has expired, we will review all information and announce the eligible Groups for the month. That list will be posted Saturday March 30^th by noon eastern.  We will then hold drawings from 2 lists as follows:

List 1: Every team that has entered for at least 3 months, including the current month, will be placed on this list.

* Each team in this drawing will receive one entry slot for each month they've entered. That means if you've entered for 3 months including the current month, your team is given 3 entries. So for example if there are 5 eligible teams for this drawing and they all have entered for 3 months, with the exception of teams Abby and Darkside who have each entered 4 times, the entry list would look like this:

1 - team Abby

2 - team Abby

3 - team Abby

4 - team Abby

5 - team Boyish stripes

6 - team Boyish stripes

7 - team Boyish stripes

8 - team Cat Lovers

9 - team Cat Lovers

10 - team Cat Lovers

11 - team Darkside

12 - team Darkside

13 - team Darkside

14 - team Darkside

15 - team Elliot

16 - team Elliot

17 - team Elliot

List 2: Every team who successfully submitted their information in full will be placed on this list.

* For this list, all teams receive 1 entry slot regardless of the number of months they've entered, giving an equal chance to all who are enter whether they are brand new or have been entering for several months.

Please note that even an attempted entry counts when tallying your Group's number of entries. In other words if your Group got the email and FB comment in within the alloted time for a given month, it counts even if some info was missing and your Group wasn't entered in the drawing(s).

Once we have our confirmed 2 lists, we will perform the drawings via random.org. Once we have completed the drawings, we will post all winning Groups on Facebook.  Those lists will be up Saturday evening between 8pm and 10pm EST.

The information below covers general Group Custom policies to keep in mind as you are forming your Groups.  Please note that some of this has changed in recent months, specifically payments for Group Custom diapers:

* If your Group is selected you will then receive a confirmation email in response to the email you sent in.  That email will contain a link to purchase your Group Custom diapers.  There will be drop-down menu within the payment link for one size/little tush and teenie tush options where applicable.  It is important that you choose the correct option based on your preference as stated in your Group spreadsheet.  Group members will purchase their own diaper, including shipping, at this time.  This means that Group leaders no longer have to collect the payment for the diapers, a significant change from previous months.  However, Group leaders are still required to handle the purchasing of the Group fabric and sending that in (or having it sent directly from a vendor) to twinkie tush.  Group members will have 1 full week from the time they receive the payment link email to purchase their diapers.  Any diapers not purchased within the week timeframe will not be made and there will be no exceptions to this policy.  We feel a week is plenty of time to complete payment. :)  As mentioned above, shipping payments will now be included with the diaper purchase.  You will not receive separate shipping payment links.  Please select your shipping preference when purchasing your diaper! :)

*Anyone from the Group can email us, as long as they are willing and able to serve as Group rep (the person who coordinates sending the fabric to twinkie tush and communicates with me about velour preferences, etc.) The Group rep is also responsible for forwarding information from us to the Group as needed and assuring that the Group is aware of payment deadlines, etc.  Please do not email on behalf of your Group unless you are willing to take on the Group rep responsibility.  If we receive multiple emails from the same group we will reply to the first (but for the sake of our record-keeping we would appreciate if Groups just sent a single email! :)

*All members of the Group must be copied on the initial email so that we can reach individual members if needed.

* If there is not sufficient turnout for a Group we reserve the right to cancel production, at our discretion. We will flesh out this policy as we see how the new process runs.

*Once we receive your Group’s fabric, assuming all diapers have been purchased and/or the one week purchase period has expired, we will put your diapers into production.  Group Custom diapers will ship 4-6 weeks after fabric is received (again, pending payment).

*After securing the slot, the Group leader will send us (at the Group's cost) adequate yardage of the chosen print fabric and all diapers will be cut from that yardage (please see the fabric requirement chart at the end of this blog post).  All other materials will of course be provided by twinkie tush.  For members choosing obv we will use the natural color as opposed to dyed obv, and for cv I will choose a color that coordinates with your print.  Only one color of cv will be used per Group (in other words please don't designate specific individual colors on your spreadsheet). It is fine for a Group rep to share a Group's velour preference (eg "we'd really love aqua cv if it works" or "we definitely don't want black" or "something light as opposed to dark") but please note that final cv decisions will be made by me.  If you express a preference for a color that doesn't work well with the print I will not proceed with it.  However, if you say "we definitely don't want X color" I will of course honor that.  I will always do my best to accommodate velour color requests!  Any requests made by the Group must be shared with us BEFORE we receive your fabric.  If you have not made a request by the time we receive your fabric, I will choose the color that I feel works best with your print! :)

*Please do not ask for specific snap or thread colors as we are not able to accommodate these requests.  Thank you for your understanding!

*All fabric submitted for Group Customs becomes property of twinkie tush and may be used at our discretion (for stocking, drawings, giveaways, charity events, or anything else we deem appropriate) once the Group order is fulfilled.

     - Please note that we will price diapers made with remaining Group Custom fabric according to the cost of the fabric (based within our current pricing structure).  This is something that has been requested of us by previous Groups and we recognize that it is the most fair way to handle pricing.

* Group size can range from 5-15 people. Each Group member will choose between a serged or turned diaper.  For Groups using woven fabrics all diapers will be turned. The price will be $36 + shipping per each one size or little tush diaper and $28 + shipping per each teenie tush diaper.  Please note that serged/turned and sizing preferences must be finalized *prior* to entering your Groups.  We will make copies of Group spreadsheets via screenshot after winners are drawn and all diapers will be made as dictated by the spreadsheet screenshot.  If your Group secures a mid-month slot (ie payment links will not be sent out for a couple of weeks) you may make changes up until the day before payment links are sent (so the 14th of the month).

*Should a Group member leave a Group post-drawing, you may replace that member at the Group’s discretion.  However you may not add Group members beyond the number who entered the drawing.  If a member is swapped after screenshots have been taken, the new member’s diaper will be made according to the original member’s specifications.  Please make sure to alert us to any changes in the member list by sending an email to groupcustoms@twinkietush.com, ccing all accurate (including new) members.

*For Groups pursuing twinkie tush night-nights: the fabric requirement chart at the end of this post shows how much velour you will need to send in to cover both inner and outer velours.  The cost per person in that case will be $40 plus shipping.  Should you prefer to only send in outer velour fabric and have us supply your inner velour, the cost per member will be $45.  It is important that you specify that preference in your Group spreadsheet so that we can set up payment links accordingly if your Group wins a slot.  Night-nights are only available in our one size (OS) pattern.

*Please make sure to note that, as indicated on the chart below, special cutting needs must be directed to me before you send in your fabric. If you require any sort of special cutting at all (centered bum cuts, a fabric element right side up OTB, more floral OTB, etc.) that constitutes special cutting and will require more than the standard amount of fabric. We do our best to keep the fabric requirements low and reasonable so that you aren't spending extra money on extra fabric that we won't need. But that means that we can only work with what you send in and while we always try for amazing cuts, our focus is on fulfilling your group order with an appropriate buffer. If you are concerned about getting a specific cut of any kind it is important that you reach out to me so that I can tell you how much fabric we will need in order to make that happen. And of course if there are any questions about this at all please reach out to me at info@twinkietush.com! :)

*Again, all diapers will ship out to Group members 4-6 weeks after we receive your fabric (or once the 1 week invoice period is completed, assuming the fabric arrives before then).

We hope this new entry and payment process provides a smooth, comfortable, and easy way for everyone to participate in twinkie tush Group Customs! :)  As always, please let us know if you have any questions about any of this, and thank you so much! 

March 2013 Photo Contest!

Good morning! :)  Here are the promised details on our March 2013 Photo Contest!! :D

We are holding a photo contest this month – it begins today!  Photo contests are one of my very favorite things!  There is nothing like seeing the diapers that we so recently made by hand now being loved by you and your beautiful children!  Thank you in advance for sharing that love by sharing your photos with us!!

Here are the photo contest details:

The contest will be open for submissions from today, 3/1, through Sunday 3/24.  That gives you just over 3 weeks to get your entries in!  :)  The winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 27th, at 10pm EST. Please read below for important details on how to win. There will be a first place and a second place winner as follows:

- First place takes home their choice of:

(a) a FREE custom twinkie tush diaper of their choice (based on availability of desired fabric, and SYOF is of course an option as well). Shipping of the diaper is also free. (Please note that the custom diaper will ship 4-6 weeks after a final print decision is made or SYO fabric is received.)

                OR

(b) an ULTIMATE Dibs Pass, which entitles them to select a single diaper during previews and take it home FREE, with free shipping as well.  This ULTIMATE Dibs Pass would be valid on any preview day in April 2013.  (Please note that occasionally there is a print offered that is not able to be claimed by a dibs pass.)  More info about Dibs Passes is below.

- Second place winner will be given the opportunity to choose between:

(a) an individual custom slot (priced at $36 for SYOF or within our normal pricing structure for an in stock print, with FREE shipping.  (Please note that the custom diaper will ship 4-6 weeks after a final print decision is made or SYO fabric is received.)

OR

(b) a standard Dibs Pass which will allow them to select a single diaper to purchase at regular price on any one preview day in April 2013 without having to attend the stocking.  This prize also includes free shipping! (Please note that occasionally there is a print offered that is not able to be claimed by a dibs pass.)  More info about Dibs Passes is below.

- We will also draw an additional standard Dibs Pass winner at random from all photo contest participants at the close of the contest!  (This random.org Dibs Pass entitles the recipient to claim a diaper during previews and purchase it prior to stocking at regular price and with regular associated shipping costs.  This random.org Dibs Pass will be valid on any one preview day in April 2013.)

So now that we’ve covered prizes, here is the process:

To enter, simply submit a photo of your little one(s) in a twinkie tush diaper or twinkie tush wool. Hair clips and headbands by Hello Charlotte James for twinkie tush, twinkie tush/Hazelbee dress collaborations and/or T shirts by Peanut & Pumpkin for twinkie tush are of course welcome to be part of the photos, however a twinkie tush diaper or twinkie tush woolies must be featured.

Feel free to be as creative as possible - extra consideration will always be given for creativity! (Try to play off the "theme" of your diaper or woolies - you can use accessories and props to really amp it up - a guitar, an alien toy, a bouquet of flowers....) A simple approach is fine as well - creativity is just one of the things that will be considered.

Photos can be sent to photocontest@twinkietush.com. By submitting a photo you are giving twinkie tush permission to use your photo to promote or represent twinkie tush diapers and/or twinkie tush wool on this blog, the twinkie tush shops on Hyena Cart and Big Cartel, twinkietush.com, twinkie tush advertisements on HC and elsewhere, and the twinkie tush facebook pages.  Please do not submit a photo if you do not agree to these terms. :)

Submissions will be closed on Sunday 3/24/13 at 11:59pm EST. On Monday 3/25 we will upload all submissions to a photo album on the main twinkie tush facebook page called "March 2013 photo contest!" At that point, the contest really gets exciting!

First place will be awarded to the photo *in the " March 2013 photo contest" album* that we feel best reflects the spirit of twinkie tush and the spirit of the individual diaper(s) pictured. Creativity, photo composition, brand reflection and of course FUN are some of the things that will be considered. :) Mike and I will choose the first place winner, and we will announce the winner at 10pm EST on Wednesday, March 27th.

Second place will go to the photo in the "March 2013 photo contest" album that receives the most "likes".  Please note that "likes" on photos outside of the specified album will not count as votes for that photo. You, and your friends and family, may "like" multiple photos if you choose (you don't have to pick just one). Comments are welcome of course, but will not count towards a photo's "tally". Since it is possible to "like" and then "unlike" something on facebook, we will go with the count as it is at exactly 10pm EST on Wednesday, March 27th.

An important note: you cannot win both first and second place ;) While the number of "likes" a photo has will neither ensure a first place win nor preclude it from taking said prize, fan feedback is something that Mike and I may take into consideration to at least some extent in making our decision on a first place winner. In the event that we choose the "highest likes" photo for first place, that photo is no longer eligible to take a second place win. In other words if photo A has the highest number with 200 likes and photo B has 199 likes, and we choose photo A as our first place winner, second place will go to photo B. If we choose photo B, or any other photo in the album, as our first place winner, second place will go to photo A.  Please feel free to ask questions about this if it is at all unclear! :)

Please note that only one (1) first place and one (1) second place prize will be awarded.  Should you collaborate with another family to enter a submission you would need to settle the allocation of the prize between yourselves in the event that you win.

Please note that you may enter only one (1) photo per household for this contest. Also note that photos must clearly show your twinkie tush diaper(s) and/or twinkie tush wool and must not be offensive in any way (obviously). Please send full size/high res images rather than "email" or "thumbnail" sizes.

If there is a problem with your submission you will receive an email response with suggestions on how to resubmit if applicable. If your submission is accepted you will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 48 hours please email again to confirm receipt, in case for some reason your initial email did not come through successfully.

We are looking forward to your submissions! Thanks so much!! :)

More about Dibs Passes

How do you use your Dibs Pass? A Dibs Pass is a way to bypass the stocking itself – you need only comment on a preview photo on facebook by 10pm EST on preview day with something to the effect of “I am going to use my dibs pass for one of these diapers”, and then follow up with an email to info@twinkietush.com so that we can show you specific cuts and/or velour options, if applicable. You will then check out with a private link. (Certain prints may not be claim-able via Dibs Pass or Ultimate Dibs Pass and that will be stated during previews. Additionally with certain prints only one Dibs Pass may be used, on a first come first served basis. Again that will be stated along with the preview photos. )  Standard Dibs Passes offer no discount on the claimed diaper.  The retail price and associated shipping costs will be due upon checkout (unless free shipping is specified along with the prize).  A Dibs Pass entitles you to claim a single diaper for purchase within the date parameters given above.

About the Ultimate Dibs Pass:

The Ultimate Dibs Pass is like a regular Dibs Pass, but entitles the winner not just to claim a diaper for purchase, but to take it home for free.  The process for using the pass is the same, but rather than checking out with a private link you will simply supply your shipping address.  An Ultimate Dibs Pass entitles you to claim a single diaper at no cost within the date parameters given above.

Dibs passes are non-transferable and hold no monetary value.

Our first full stocking on twinkietush.com!!

Tonight we will have our first full stocking on www.twinkietush.com!  I wanted to go over a few key points with everyone before tonight, and of course if you have any questions please feel free to email us or comment on this blog post! :)

I want to make sure to reiterate that while we have tested the site extensively, nothing can come close to equaling a real, full stocking.  We are prepared to learn a lot about the site and any areas of needed improvement tonight! :)  We ask for your understanding and patience with this first stocking and ask that you remember we are still in beta mode – we do not expect everything to run completely perfectly. :)  Now to go over some very important points about stockings on the new site:

As you likely already know if you participated in any of our site testing, there is no longer any need to refresh your browsers when waiting for an item to become available either initially or from a pending status!

Now, when you are on a specific listing's page and you do not see the Add to Cart button, three possibilities exist:

1. The item is not yet available.

 - If it's more than 1 hour from the available time, the date and time of availability will be posted.

 - If it's 60 minutes or less from the available time, there will be a countdown clock running. When that clock reaches 0:00:00, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

2. The item is carted by another shopper.

- In this scenario, you will see the window of time in which the item may become available for sale again. If the item is not purchased by the original customer, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

3. The item is sold out.

We understand that not refreshing will take some getting used to, but we truly believe this will help everyone have an equal opportunity to cart items successfully at stockings. Refreshing your browser, while on a specific item's page, will in fact lessen your chances of successfully carting the item.

* A note about items with multiple quantities: we recently began listing items with multiple quantities in a single listing, except in rare cases (like Rainbow Games and Aviary tonight) where we separate them out with a, b, c, etc. listings.  When an item has a quantity of >1, the listing will not go to “pending” until the full quantity is carted.

Once you have clicked “Add to Cart” and have been taken to your cart:

1 - Look at your cart carefully.  If you have successfully carted the item, you will see a running clock on the righthand side of the screen (counting down the 10 minute payment window).  If you do not see a running clock, it means that you have not in fact successfully carted the item, and that it is carted by another shopper.  In that case you will also see an error message in your cart, letting you know that the item is in fact in another shopper’s cart.  I know this may take some getting used to, but it was the best workaround we found in order to allow the dynamic clock and other key site features to function well.

Another thing to look at is the quantity you have selected.  If you clicked “Add to Cart” quickly and repeatedly, you may have inadvertently added more than one of the same diaper to your cart.  If you add more than what is available, the action will fail.  Again, in that scenario, you will not have a running clock.  The lack of a running clock means that the attempt to cart the item has failed.

2 – Once you have ensured that you have the correct quantity and a running clock in your cart, you are ready to proceed!  You have 10 minutes to complete your transaction before the carted item is placed back into the available inventory. A running countdown clock is present in your shopping cart, and a message providing a specific window of time that the item may become available again is shown on the listing page for all remaining shoppers.  You are ready to click “Check Out” and complete your order!

3 – Proceed with checkout as outlined in this flickr album!  Should you need to change your shipping address, you must do so ON twinkietush.com, as shown in the album.  Please also note that while multiple people can sign into the same account, the cart contents will not transfer from computer to computer or even browser to browser.  If you want to ship to another party you must change the shipping address on twinkietush.com and check out on their behalf.

A few other things to note:

- Item statuses are shown on the product main pages as well as the All Items page for quick reference. You do not need to go into the specific item page to see if it is available for purchase. However these pages do need to be refreshed to see status changes.

- Past Items will now be saved and viewable in the Past Items category.

- Again, a major change to note with the new cart system is that shipping addresses must now be changed during the checkout process on twinkietush.com - NOT IN PAYPAL. Once you reach PayPal, no changes should be made. Any attempt to change a shipping address or order information once in PayPal may result in your losing the item.

- If you haven’t already, please make sure to check out the flickr album we created to illustrate the checkout process.  Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinkietush/sets/72157632180627116/

We are looking forward to tonight and hoping to learn a lot and have a really great stocking!  See you at 8pm EST on www.twinkietush.com! 

Group Customs: Changes to the process, and the January 2013 drawings! :)

We will be drawing Groups this Saturday for the January Group Custom slots! :)  Please read the information below thoroughly so that you don't miss any important components!   Even if you are experienced with our Group Custom process please read through this post as there are some key changes this month.

*If you are new to twinkie tush, welcome!  Please note that this is not the only way to purchase one of our diapers. ;)  Read this page for lots of basic twinkie tush information!

Additionally please note that this process is as complex as it is ONLY in order to meet the needs of customers, both new and returning.  It is designed to be fair, not to be purposefully maddening. ;)

We are planning to post the January Group Custom entry thread on Facebook this coming Saturday (1/26) at 2pm EST.  (The thread will then be open for 5 minutes only.)

We ask that you continue to stick to a maximum of 3 Groups per household for the time being.  We are going to be strict about this - if we notice someone in more than 3 Groups that individual will be removed from all Groups.  That means that if one of their Groups wins a drawing the Group win will stand but the individual will be disqualified.  Please help us keep this fair for everyone! :)

When the entry thread goes up on Facebook, please comment on the thread to enter your team!  You may only enter on behalf of one Group (but may appear in up to 3 Groups).  Your entries should look like these, in which the flying whizbees are entering for the first time in the current month and the skullies have entered in two previous months as well as in the current month:

The flying whizbees: 1 month. Kate, Megan B., Amanda, Karen, Jessica, Sarah, Melissa, Henrietta, Pamela, Megan Z.

The skullies: 3 months. Susan, Mike, Allegra, Sarah F., Sarah P., Bess

Also within the alloted time (5 minutes) you will need to send an email to Groupcustoms@twinkietush.com. The email subject must read something like “Group Custom Entry: Team Name (eg The flying whizbees)”. Your team name must be included in the subject line of the email and all Group members must be cc'ed on this email.

The email must contain a link to a google spreadsheet or an attached Excel spreadsheet (please do not C&P in the body of the email) containing the following information for each Group member:

1 - Full member name

2 - Member name as it appears in paypal account

3 - Member contact email

4 - Member paypal email

5 - serged or turned preference.

6 – sizing preference (one size, little tush, or teenie tush)

7 - individual choice of cotton velour or organic bamboo velour (more info on this new addition below)

If any of those elements are missing (no team name in subject, any info missing from the spreadsheet, missing team member cc's, etc.) your Group will not be eligible to obtain the slot. (This is just to keep things fair.)  We recommend reviewing your spreadsheets shortly before 2pm on Saturday to double-check that everything is present and that your spreadsheet matches your planned Facebook entry. :)

*Please do not write “TBD” for your sizing, finishing style or cv/obv preference unless you want me to decide for you!  :)

Once the entry time has expired, we will review all information and announce the eligible Groups for the month. We will then hold drawings from 2 lists as follows:

List 1: Every team that has entered for at least 3 months, including the current month, will be placed on this list.

* Each team in this drawing will receive one entry slot for each month they've entered. That means if you've entered for 3 months including the current month, your team is given 3 entries. So for example if there are 5 eligible teams for this drawing and they all have entered for 3 months, with the exception of teams Abby and Darkside who have each entered 4 times, the entry list would look like this:

1 - team Abby

2 - team Abby

3 - team Abby

4 - team Abby

5 - team Boyish stripes

6 - team Boyish stripes

7 - team Boyish stripes

8 - team Cat Lovers

9 - team Cat Lovers

10 - team Cat Lovers

11 - team Darkside

12 - team Darkside

13 - team Darkside

14 - team Darkside

15 - team Elliot

16 - team Elliot

17 - team Elliot

List 2: Every team who successfully submitted their information in full will be placed on this list.

* For this list, all teams receive 1 entry slot regardless of the number of months they've entered, giving an equal chance to all who are enter whether they are brand new or have been entering for several months.

Please note that even an attempted entry counts when tallying your Group's number of entries. In other words if your Group got the email and FB comment in within the alloted time for a given month, it counts even if some info was missing and your Group wasn't entered in the drawing(s).

Once we have our confirmed 2 lists, we will perform the drawings via random.org. Once we have completed the drawings, we will post all winning Groups on Facebook.

The information below covers general Group Custom policies to keep in mind as you are forming your Groups.  Please note that some of this has changed this month, specifically payments for Group Custom diapers:

* If your Group is selected you will then receive a confirmation email in response to the email you sent in.  That email will contain a link to purchase your Group Custom diapers.  There will be drop-down menu within the payment link for one size/little tush and teenie tush options where applicable.  It is important that you choose the correct option based on your preference as stated in your Group spreadsheet.  Group members will purchase their own diaper, including shipping, at this time.  This means that Group leaders no longer have to collect the payment for the diapers, a significant change from previous months.  However, Group leaders are still required to handle the purchasing of the Group fabric and sending that in (or having it sent directly from a vendor) to twinkie tush.  Group members will have 1 full week from the time they receive the payment link email to purchase their diapers.  Any diapers not purchased within the week timeframe will not be made and there will be no exceptions to this policy.  We feel a week is plenty of time to complete payment. :)  As mentioned above, shipping payments will now be included with the diaper purchase.  You will not receive separate shipping payment links.  Please select your shipping preference when purchasing your diaper! :)

*Anyone from the Group can email us, as long as they are willing and able to serve as Group rep (the person who coordinates sending the fabric to twinkie tush and communicates with me about velour preferences, etc.) The Group rep is also responsible for forwarding information from us to the Group as needed and assuring that the Group is aware of payment deadlines, etc.  Please do not email on behalf of your Group unless you are willing to take on the Group rep responsibility.

*All members of the Group must be copied on the initial email so that we can reach individual members if needed.

* If there is not sufficient turnout for a Group we reserve the right to cancel production, at our discretion. We will flesh out this policy as we see how the new process runs.

*Once we receive your Group’s fabric, assuming all diapers have been purchased and/or the one week purchase period has expired, we will put your diapers into production.  Group Custom diapers will ship 4-6 weeks after fabric is received (again, pending payment).

*After securing the slot, the Group leader will send us (at the Group's cost) adequate yardage of the chosen print fabric and all diapers will be cut from that yardage (please see the fabric requirement chart at the end of this blog post).  All other materials will of course be provided by twinkie tush.  For members choosing obv we will use the natural color as opposed to dyed obv, and for cv I will choose a color that coordinates with your print.  Only one color of cv will be used per Group (in other words please don't designate specific individual colors on your spreadsheet). It is fine for a Group rep to share a Group's velour preference (eg "we'd really love aqua cv if it works" or "we definitely don't want black" or "something light as opposed to dark") but please note that final cv decisions will be made by me.  If you express a preference for a color that doesn't work well with the print I will not proceed with it.  However, if you say "we definitely don't want X color" I will of course honor that.  I will always do my best to accommodate velour color requests!  Any requests made by the Group must be shared with us BEFORE we receive your fabric.  If you have not made a request by the time we receive your fabric, I will choose the color that I feel works best with your print! :)

*Please do not ask for specific snap or thread colors as we are not able to accommodate these requests.  Thank you for your understanding!

*All fabric submitted for Group Customs becomes property of twinkie tush and may be used at our discretion (for stocking, drawings, giveaways, charity events, or anything else we deem appropriate) once the Group order is fulfilled.

     - Please note that we will price diapers made with remaining Group Custom fabric according to the cost of the fabric (based within our current pricing structure).  This is something that has been requested of us by previous Groups and we recognize that it is the most fair way to handle pricing.

* Group size can range from 5-15 people. Each Group member will choose between a serged or turned diaper.  For Groups using woven fabrics all diapers will be turned. The price will be $36 + shipping per each one size or little tush diaper and $28 + shipping per each teenie tush diaper.  Please note that serged/turned and sizing preferences must be finalized *prior* to entering your Groups.  We will make copies of Group spreadsheets via screenshot after winners are drawn and all diapers will be made as dictated by the spreadsheet screenshot.  If your Group secures a mid-month slot (ie payment links will not be sent out for a couple of weeks) you may make changes up until the day before payment links are sent (so the 14^th of the month).

*Should a Group member leave a Group post-drawing, you may replace that member at the Group’s discretion.  However you may not add Group members beyond the number who entered the drawing.  If a member is swapped after screenshots have been taken, the new member’s diaper will be made according to the original member’s specifications.  Please make sure to alert us to any changes in the member list by sending an email to Groupcustoms@twinkietush.com, ccing all accurate (including new) members.

*For Groups pursuing twinkie tush night-nights: the fabric requirement chart at the end of this post shows how much velour you will need to send in to cover both inner and outer velours.  The cost per person in that case will be $40 plus shipping.  Should you prefer to only send in outer velour fabric and have us supply your inner velour, the cost per member will be $45.  It is important that you specify that preference in your Group spreadsheet so that we can set up payment links accordingly if your Group wins a slot.  Night-nights are only available in our one size (OS) pattern.

*Again, all diapers will ship out to Group members 4-6 weeks after we receive your fabric (or once the 1 week invoice period is completed, assuming the fabric arrives before then).

We hope this new payment process provides a smooth, comfortable, and easy way for everyone to participate in twinkie tush Group Customs! :)  As always, please let us know if you have any questions about any of this, and thank you so much!  See you Saturday afternoon! :)

Without Further Ado....TWINKIETUSH.COM :)

After more than a year of research, 2 different web developers, several months of testing, and countless hours of revisions, we are SO excited to introduce you to twinkietush.com!

Developing our site was no easy task. We had several obstacles and challenges along the way trying to incorporate all of our learnings from Hyena Cart and Big Cartel. We cannot thank you enough for all your patience and input while we built our site.

In building the site, we believe we have solved many of the issues we have experienced with our cart systems thus far. The most exciting and important feature we want to share is this: there is no longer any need to refresh your browsers when waiting for an item to become available either initially or from a pending status!

Now, when you are on a specific listing's page and you do not see the Add to Cart button, three possibilities exist:

1. The item is not yet available.

 - If it's more than 1 hour from the available time, the date and time of availability will be posted.

 - If it's 60 minutes or less from the available time, there will be a countdown clock running. When that clock reaches 0:00:00, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

2. The item is carted by another shopper.

- In this scenario, you will see the window of time in which the item may become available for sale again. If the item is not purchased by the original customer, the Add to Cart button will automatically appear. Refreshing is not necessary! :)

3. The item is sold out.


We understand that not refreshing will take some getting used to, but we truly believe this will help everyone have an equal opportunity to cart items successfully at stockings. Refreshing your browser, while on a specific item's page, will in fact lessen your chances of successfully carting the item.


A few other features of the site we want to make mention of here include:

- A real time clock that is running dynamically on the site (no need to refresh for the current time)

 - Shoppers will have 10 minutes to complete their transaction before the carted item is placed back into the available inventory. A countdown clock for each item is present in the buyer's shopping cart, and a message providing a specific window of time that the item may become available again is shown on the listing page for all remaining shoppers.

- Item statuses are shown on the product main pages as well as the All Items page for quick reference. You do not need to go into the specific item page to see if it is available for purchase. However these pages do need to be refreshed to see status changes.

- Past Items will now be saved and viewable in the Past Items category.

- A major change to note with the new cart system is that shipping addresses must now be changed during the checkout process on twinkietush.com - NOT IN PAYPAL. Once you reach PayPal, no changes should be made. Any attempt to change a shipping address or order information once in PayPal may result in your losing the item.


Over the next couple days, we encourage you create your user accounts (a free user account is required for purchasing) and browse the site! We anticipate that you will have questions and we're here to answer them. Please either email us at info@twinkietush.com or post on our Facebook wall. :)  After a couple of days, we plan to begin putting items into the store to begin beta testing the site. Some of these listings may be for testing only, some may be for actual items. We will announce any test or "real" stocked items on our Facebook fan page. Once we are comfortable with the results of this beta testing, all twinkie tush items will be sold through the new website!

To help you navigate the site, we have created a Flickr album with screen shots of the main pages and some important notes for your reference. We will also include these screenshots in an album on our main Facebook page. Here is the link to flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinkietush/sets/72157632180627116/

We hope you all enjoy the site as much as we have enjoyed building it - it has been a long time coming and we are so thrilled to be opening the virtual doors to www.twinkietush.com! :)