Stocking schedule for the rest of December

There is a lot going on at twinkie tush right now! :)  We are working on getting the little tush line ready to launch (this will be a variation on our older, smaller pattern and will be designed for the post-newborn to 25 lb range) and we are also working on developing our teenie tush pattern for newborn diapers!  Simultaneously, in line with our goal of continuing to increase production of our standard one size and night-night diapers, we have added a new team member!  We are thrilled to welcome Anne! :)  She joins Sara, Jackie, Jen, Mike and myself and is an awesome addition to team twinkie tush!

These changes are going to mean more diapers and more variety in the coming months, however they also mean some extra work right now.  With the Holidays approaching and Mike and I and the twinkies planning some travel and family time as well, we are needing to take a little time off from our normal stocking schedule.

Today there will be a regularly scheduled stocking, at 8pm EST.  Check out the listings here!  Next week, on the 21st, we are hoping to be able to do a light stocking and may include a couple of mini group custom slots as well! There will also be new ready to ship woolies and custom wool slots, as well as custom Hello Charlotte James slots! :)  More details on that stocking in the next few days.  Then we will take the 28th off.  We will return on January 4th, with a full stocking.  And in early 2012 you can expect to start seeing more diapers each week as we continue to increase production!

Thanks as always for your support! :) 

See you tonight at 8pm EST for this week's stocking!

December's Group Custom info! :)

It's almost time for the December Group Custom slots to be offered. We are planning to post the entry thread on facebook next Sunday evening (12/11) between 8 and 9pm eastern.  (The thread will then be open for 5 minutes only.)

We ask that for this month you stick to a one group per person guideline, with a maximum of 2 groups per household. After the December GC slots are secured we will ask for feedback on that policy and evaluate how best to go forward.

Interested groups will enter using the same process used in September, October and November (please see here) with the newer addition of including the number of months your team has entered, including the current month. Your entries should look like these, in which the flying whizbees are entering for the first time in December 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 twinkietush@gmail.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. 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 T&T preference.

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.

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

Drawing 1: Every team that has entered for at least 3 months, including December, will be entered in this drawing.

- 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

We will use random.org to draw the winning number.


Drawing 2: Every team who successfully submitted their information in full is entered in this drawing, with the winning team again being selected by random.org.

- For this drawing, 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).

It is also important to review the information below, which covers general Group Custom policies:

* 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 your group custom slot, which will be available for purchase at the store. You will have exactly 24 hours to purchase the slot. If a group fails to purchase the slot in time a new drawing will take place using the same list and a second winner will be drawn.

*Anyone from the group can email me, as long as they are willing and able to serve as group rep (the person who collects payments from other group members and communicates with me about velour preferences, etc.) The group rep is also responsible for forwarding information from me 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 I can reach individual members if needed.

*Once the spot is purchased it is reserved and you can send your fabric to me as quickly or slowly as you like! The listing will include the cost of the diapers but not the cost of shipping to each individual group member.

*After the group rep pays for the group listing, each individual group member will need to pay individually for their shipping cost. This is not something that needs to be done to reserve your spot but it will need to be done in order for me to ship you your diapers ;) This system is just to facilitate an easier and smoother shipping process on our end which means you getting your diapers more quickly :) After your slot is paid for I will send an email to the group or group rep with a link to a store listing where you can pay for shipping individually.

*After purchasing the slot, the group will send me (at the group's cost) adequate yardage (usually 3-5 yards) of the chosen print fabric and all diapers will be cut from that yardage. All other materials will of course be provided by me :) All velour and snaps will be uniform. I will work with the group on velour choice (contingent on availability) and snap colors will be chosen by me. Extra print fabric will be shipped back to a group member or members or donated for use by twinkie tush as decided by the group. Please note that the cost of mailing extra fabric will be added to shipping cost(s) and that will need to be determined before the shipping listings can be set up.

* Group size can range from 5-10 people. Each group member will choose between a serged or turned and topstitched diaper. I do not recommend serging with woven fabrics. The price for this SYOF order will be $33 + shipping per each diaper.

*All diapers will ship out to the group members 4-6 weeks after I receive the fabric (pending shipping payments of course).

Please let us know if you have any questions about this, and thanks so much! :)

Thanksgiving Week/Black Friday fun!

We are taking this week off from stocking to travel and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family, but we have some serious fun in store for tomorrow and Black Friday!

Here is what's on tap:

30% off at the store!
Black Friday, starting at 12am, all in stock Hello, Charlotte James headbands and hair clips and twinkie tush wool will be 30% off, using code BlackFriday30 (we were feeling especially creative when we came up with that code ;).


Custom Slot Contest #1
Thanksgiving Day: custom slot contest begins on the main facebook page in the morning and runs through Friday evening, 8pm EST.  Look for the thread on the FB page around 10am eastern tomorrow! :)  We will use random.org to select the winner and the prize is a (regularly priced) custom slot for in stock, SYOF, or night-night, along with free shipping!

Mini Group Custom Slots
1 - On Black Friday there will be a mini group custom slot contest on the fans of twinkie tush cloth diapers discussion page, starting at 10am EST and running through 8:15pm EST.  One entry per person, and this is the description of what you are entering for! :)  Winner will be chosen via random.org.

2 - Also on Black Friday, at a time TBA, there will be a mini group custom slot stocked at the store. :)  The listing will be up by tomorrow evening with a stocking time included.

Custom Slot drawing at the store
In addition to the mini group custom slot stocked on Black Friday there will be an individual slot stocked as a drawing.  Again the time will be announced when the listing goes up tomorrow night (the drawing will go live on Black Friday).  This slot will include free shipping! :)

Custom Slot Contest for 2 diapers!
On Black Friday, in addition to the mini group custom contest on the fan discussion page, there will be an individual custom slot contest thread on that page as well - except this slot is for TWO diapers! :)  They must ship to the same address and they may be in stock, SYOF, or night-nights, regularly priced.  Again, this thread will not be on the main FB page but the fan discussion page.  Winner will be selected via random.org and this thread will be open from around 10am EST to 8:30pm EST on Friday.

That's a total of 10 custom diapers, 2 with free shipping! :)

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for your incredible, incredible support.  We are so fortunate to have the most amazing fans imaginable and we will continue to work to make twinkie tush the best it can be and to bring you as many opportunities as possible to find exactly what you're looking for!  Sending you many many thanks this week and always. :)

Harry Potter Trivia - one more chance for the HP lovers :)

I thought it would be fun to have a quick encore of our HP fun tomorrow night!  Trivia will take place on the facebook page beginning at 8:30pm eastern.

Here's what to expect!

Round 1 will consist of 1 question. Assuming there are at least 20 correct responses, the first 20 people to answer correctly will advance to round 2. I will "like" the first 20 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.

Round 2 will consist of 1 question. The first 10 people to get it right will advance to round 3. I will "like" the first 10 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.

Round 3 will consist of 1 question. The first 3 people to get it right will advance to round 4. I will "like" the first 3 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.

Round 4 will consist of 2 questions. Each question will be asked one at a time. The first single player to answer correctly will advance to round 5. 2 players will advance to the 5th and final round.

Round 5 will be a best of 3 challenge. Each question will be asked one at a time. The first player to answer two questions correctly will win the contest and take the prize!  In this case the prize is a regularly priced custom slot, with free shipping! :)


Some things to keep in mind:
Please note that Rounds 2-5 are open only to players that have advanced from the previous round. Any comments from anyone other than those players will be disregarded and possibly deleted.

For all rounds of the trivia contests, once a player has submitted his or her answer, that is their final answer. In other words you may not delete your original answer or submit multiple comments (answers) for any single question. If you do, only your first comment will be counted.

During this contest, we ask everyone playing to bring an energy in line with the fun and interactive sprit we try to create at twinkie tush. With that in mind, please refrain from negative or unsportsmanlike comments.

Wherein there is any possibility for interpretation of a correct answer, we will interpret accuracy and deem what constitutes a correct answer. For example –What did Dumbledore anonymously give Harry on his 1st Christmas at Hogwarts?

Possible correct answers would include:
- His father’s invisibility cloak
- The invisibility cloak
- Invisibility cloak

Based on our interpretation, possible incorrect answers would include:
- ­A cloak
- His father’s jacket
- Cabbage


Please note that by entering the twinkie tush Harry Potter trivia contest, you agree to all of the above. And most of all agree to have fun! :)

November's Group Custom Process

We have some changes to announce for this month!  

We always appreciate all the support and feedback you provide. Because of the incredible response to our Group Customs, we have been working hard at developing a process which rewards the teams who continue to show up each month along with keeping it fair for those entering for the first time. We think we have come up with a process which will be a great solution and the most fair for all!

For November only, there will be 3 Group Custom slots awarded. (I must reiterate, this is ONLY for November – we will not normally be able to take on 3 groups.)  Interested groups will enter using the same process used in September and October (please see here) with the addition of including the number of months your team has entered, including the current month.  Your entries should look like these, in which the flying whizbees are entering for the first time in November 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

Once the entry time has expired, we will review all information and announce the eligible groups for November. We will then hold 3 drawings as follows:

Drawing 1: This drawing is a unique, one time offer for November only, and is meant to give special consideration to three teams that have tried repeatedly, more times than any other group, to secure a custom slot.  This drawing will only be open to teams Emma, Kodachrome, and Popeye.  (This assumes each of these teams have entered and have been confirmed eligible for the November contest. If only one of those teams is confirmed eligible, then that team will automatically win the first slot. If 2 or 3 are confirmed eligible, the winner will be selected by random.org)

All three of these teams have been with us for several months and we felt it absolutely necessary and appropriate to offer them this 1 in 3 chance at winning a group custom slot. This is not something we will do regularly, if ever again.

Drawing 2: Every team that has entered for at least 3 months, including November, will be entered in this drawing.  (The two teams who did not win the first drawing are of course entered in this drawing as well.)

 - 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

We will again use random.org to draw the winning number.

Drawing 3: Every team who successfully submitted their information in full is entered in this drawing, with the winning team again being selected by random.org.

 - For this drawing, 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.

The plan for December and all future months will be to offer 2 Group Custom slots whenever possible. Once all teams have entered and are confirmed eligible we will run 2 drawings using the process shown above in drawings two and three. Drawing one would be for every team that has entered for at least 3 consecutive months including the current month, with each team receiving an entry slot for every consecutive month entered. Drawing 2 would be for all eligible teams with each team receiving 1 entry slot regardless of the number of months they've entered. Should we not be able to offer 2 Group Custom slots for any given month, we would always defer to a contest in which every team has the same chance to win. And we do reserve the right to change or alter this process at any time.

We hope that this change helps to honor the teams that have been with us for a long while, while still keeping things exciting and fair for new groups. We would not be able to do what we do without you and we are always listening for ways to improve both our products and our processes!  Thank you for helping us make twinkie tush the best it can be!

The opportunity to enter for November’s Group Custom slots will be posted this Saturday, November 5th. Time is TBD and will be announced on our facebook page no later than Friday at noon eastern.  We will again give a time frame in which the slot will be posted, and this time the entry will be open for 5 minutes only.

I know this is a lot of new information to absorb, but it is also important to read over the standard group custom entry information here.  If your group is missing any of the required elements you will not be eligible for entry.

Thanks so much and have a great day!

November Photo Contest!

We will be running another photo contest throughout November! We always have a blast with the photo contests, and it is so special to us to see twinkie tush diapers in action, to see the amazing cuties who wear them, and to see the creativity and love that you put into photographing them!

Here are the photo contest details:

The contest will be open for submissions from today, 11/2, through 11/27 - that gives you just under 4 weeks to snap your pics and get them in to us. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 30th, 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 a free custom twinkie tush diaper of their choice (based on availability of desired fabric, and SYOF is an option as well). Shipping of the diaper is also free.

- The second place winner will have their choice of either (A) a regularly priced custom slot with free shipping, or (B) a one time "dibs pass" which will allow them to choose a single diaper to purchase at regular price on any one preview day between 12/1/11 and 6/1/12 without having to attend the stocking.  Choice (B) includes free shipping as well.

Please note that all custom diapers will ship 4-6 weeks after orders are placed.

So here's the process:

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 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 twinkietush@gmail.com. Please type PHOTO CONTEST in the subject field. By submitting a photo you are giving twinkie tush permission to use your photo to promote twinkie tush diapers and/or twinkie tush wool on this blog, the twinkie tush shop on Hyena Cart, twinkie tush advertisements on HC and elsewhere, and the twinkie tush facebook page.

Submissions will be closed on Sunday 11/27/11 at 11:59pm EST. On Monday 11/28 we will upload all submissions to a photo album on the main twinkie tush facebook page called "November 2011 photo contest!" At that point, the contest really gets exciting!

First place will be awarded to the photo *in the "November 2011 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, November 30th.

Second place will go to the photo in the "November 2011 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 11/30.

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 you may enter only ONE 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 or web adjusted 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 really excited to see what you all come up with! Thanks in advance for participating in what we hope will be a fun and fabulous event!! :)

Previews and some important scheduling info

We're all set for tomorrow's stocking at 2pm eastern :)  Listings will be up tonight - here is a look at what's coming this week:

This is also my Birthday week and I'm taking a few days off to spend time with my family. :)  We will not have a stocking next week, however next Wednesday, 10/5, we will offer another group custom slot!  We will follow the same process we followed last time - see details here.

So here's a detailed look at what's happening for the next couple of weeks:

Tomorrow, 9/28: Stocking at 2pm eastern (2:15 for wool)
Early next week (10/4-5): Current group custom and about 20 individual custom orders will ship out
Wednesday 10/5: Next group custom slot is offered (no stocking) - we will give a time frame so you won't need to stalk the FB page as much this time. :)
Wednesday 10/12: Stocking as usual, time TBA

We will also likely host another custom slot contest next week on FB - stay tuned for more info on that! :)

Thanks so much and have a great night - see you tomorrow!

A new group custom process coming in September!

As I mentioned previously, we are going to be re-vamping our group custom process a bit.  We will be trying out a new process in September! J  Here are the details:

I will announce at least one day in advance that a group custom slot will be available.  You will know the specific day on which to expect the slot to open, but I will not give the specific time.  This is out of consideration to those who have been planning and preparing well in advance and who carefully follow the blog and facebook for updates – I want to make sure those efforts are given consideration.  When I do announce the group custom, I will do so on facebook rather than the blog.  I will create a post on the facebook page that reads “Group custom drawing thread!”  At that point you will have 10 minutes to enter your group.  You enter by commenting on the thread in the following format:

“Group name: member first name, member first name, member first name, etc.” 

An example would be:

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

Each team may enter ONE time only.  Any multiple entries will be deleted (leaving only the first entry).  And each person may only enter on behalf of ONE team. (In other words Gretchen Gilpin cannot enter for both the flying whizbees and the green lanterns.)

Another important stipulation: if we see an identical member list for more than one group, the second entry will be disqualified.  For example:

“The flying whizbees: Kate, Megan B., Amanda, Karen, Jessica, Sarah, Melissa, Henrietta, Pamela, Megan Z.”
“The green lanterns: Melissa, Henrietta, Pamela, Megan Z., Kate, Megan B., Amanda, Karen, Jessica, Sarah”

The green lanterns are clearly the flying whizbees under a different name. ;)  This is not at all in the spirit of the drawing and we can't allow anything as blatant as that.

Also within the 10 minutes you will need to send an email to twinkietush@gmail.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.  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 T&T preference.

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.

After the 10 minutes are over, we will post an official “close” within the thread on facebook, and we will take 30 minutes or so to confirm that all entered groups have also included all necessary info in their emails.  Once we cross-reference we will announce the official list of entrants.  We will then head to random.org to type each group name into the list randomizer.  After we run the names through random.org we will post a screenshot to announce the winning group, which will be whatever group random.org lists as #1.

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 your group custom slot, which will be available for purchase at the store.  You will have exactly 24 hours to purchase the slot.  If a group fails to purchase the slot in time a new drawing will take place using the same list and a second winner will be drawn.

That should cover all of the new changes we are making to the group custom process.  The following are more group custom details that each group must be aware of:

*Anyone from the group can email me, as long as they are willing and able to serve as group rep (the person who collects payments from other group members and communicates with me about velour preferences, etc.)  The group rep is also responsible for forwarding information from me 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 I can reach individual members if needed.

*Once the spot is purchased it is reserved and you can send your fabric to me as quickly or slowly as you like!  The listing will include the cost of the diapers but not the cost of shipping to each individual group member.

*After the group rep pays for the group listing, each individual group member will need to pay individually for their shipping cost.  This is not something that needs to be done to reserve your spot but it will need to be done in order for me to ship you your diapers ;)  This system is just to facilitate an easier and smoother shipping process on our end which means you getting your diapers more quickly :)  Approximately a week prior to projected ship date I will send an email to the group or group rep with a link to a store listing where you can pay for shipping individually.

*After purchasing the slot, the group will send me (at the group's cost) adequate yardage (usually 3-5 yards) of the chosen print fabric and all diapers will be cut from that yardage. All other materials will of course be provided by me :)  All velour and snaps will be uniform.  I will work with the group on velour choice (contingent on availability) and snap colors will be chosen by me.  Extra print fabric will be shipped back to a group member or members or donated for use by twinkie tush as decided by the group.  Please note that the cost of mailing extra fabric will be added to shipping cost(s) and that will need to be determined before the shipping listings can be set up.

* Group size can range from 5-10 people.  Each group member will choose between a serged or turned and topstitched diaper.  I do not recommend serging with woven fabrics.  The price for this SYOF order will be $33 + shipping per each diaper.

*All diapers will ship out to the group members 4-6 weeks after I receive the fabric (pending shipping payments of course).

*It is up to each team to decide if team members must be "exclusive" to that group.  This is not something we can dictate on our end.

Please make sure to let me know here or via email (twinkietush@gmail.com) or FB if you have any questions about this, and stay tuned!  We are going to be doing our best to offer at least one group custom every month!

Changes on the way! :)

I've mentioned that some big changes are on the way and it's time for us to let you know about them!  Here is what is happening at twinkie tush:

First off, to address a question that so many of you have been asking - are we moving off of Hyena Cart and onto our own website?  The answer is yes and no ;)  After watching our stocking traffic increase each week to the point of not just excessive error codes but in fact crashing the entire HC site momentarily last week, we are now in the early stages of establishing our own website and cart system.  This will not mean an immediate move to our own site, and overall we really love working with HC!  It's just that our customer base has grown beyond what can be well supported in that forum and we are ready to take the next natural step in the progression of our business.  We will of course keep you updated as things develop and let you know well ahead of time when we are ready to begin stocking independently, but we have no set timeline at this point as we have just begun the process.

For now, stockings will remain at the store on Hyena Cart, every Wednesday.  Stocking times will continue to alternate weekly from 2pm to 8pm eastern.  twinkie tush wool will continue to stock once a month, on the last Wednesday of the month, and Hello Charlotte James headbands and hair clips will now stock routinely on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.  twinkie tush night-nights will begin stocking next week alongside prints.

I mentioned a price increase would be on the way.  The price structure going forward will be as follows:

- All stocked diapers and customs which utilize in stock fabrics will be $35.  This includes both turned and topstitched and serged diapers.  The only exceptions will be imported and HTF/expensive prints which will be priced in direct proportion to the cost of said fabrics.  (For example, the Euro knits that to this point have been priced at $35 will now be priced at $38.)

- SYOF customs will be $33.  (This includes group customs.)

- Night-nights will be $40.

We want to let you know why this change is necessary at this point.  The answer is two-fold and reflects an overall substantial increase in our production costs.  First of all, and this is something I am personally very excited about, we have addressed a concern that I have had about the lack of stretch in the wings of our diapers over time.  Because we use so much organic bamboo fleece (obf) in our diapers, which gives them the incredible absorbency for which twinkie tush has become well-known, over time they become less stretchy as the fleece firms up with months of heavy laundering.  So after much experimentation and testing, we have begun swapping out a layer of our standard organic bamboo fleece which is contained within the body of our diapers for a layer of stretch obf!  I feel strongly that this change will add value to what we already feel are truly high quality diapers, making for an even better fit for growing little ones!

The decision to begin using stretch fleece in our diaper recipe means a higher overall price tag on our materials, as stretch fleece is considerably more expensive than regular obf.  In almost unison with that change, we have seen our other fabric costs rise with the market - regular obf (which will still be a part of each diaper and makes up 6 layers of our 9 layer soaker system) and bamboo and cotton velours are all more expensive now than they were when last we set prices.  The rising cost of materials is the primary reason for which we must raise our own prices.

Now to cover the secondary reason we are seeing an increase in our own costs:  In direct response to the increased traffic and growing customer base, we have sought to amp up production.  I've already told you about Sara W, the amazing mama who cuts our fabric.  We are now welcoming another member to the twinkie tush family - the wonderful Jackie H!  Jackie has been working with us for about a month now and our plan is for her to gradually take over the substantial snapping portion of the diaper-making process.  This will free me to devote even more time to sewing, thereby increasing production.  Our goal is to increase production by 40% by the end of October.  If all goes well you should see that begin to happen in the next few weeks, both in stockings and in custom opportunities! :)  (Group customs will be revamped a bit starting next month and I will devote another blog post to that in the next few days.)

At this point I will still be doing all of the sewing myself, but we hope that twinkie tush will continue to grow and as it does we may make the decision to add team members as necessary to try to meet the demand! :)  It is so overwhelmingly humbling to me - what started out as me cutting, pinning, sewing, snapping, photographing, inventorying, and otherwise maintaining my little diaper company virtually on my own has evolved to include huge partnering from Mike, and now a growing team, including Sara and Jackie.  twinkie tush has already grown beyond what I had ever imagined it could, and now we look to the future with excitement!  We can't thank you enough for everything you do to help our company grow and thrive - we hope to always exceed your expectations, providing you the best of ourselves both in quality of diapers and in open, clear communication.

Thank you so much, and have a wonderful night! :)

Upcoming changes!

We have some big changes coming in the next few weeks, and we're working like crazy behind the scenes right now to bring these changes about! :)  For that reason we have a couple of stocking/custom schedule changes.  We will not be stocking on August 24th.  We will stock as usual on Wednesday 8/17 and after a one week break we'll be back on 8/31, at which point these changes should be ready to launch! :)  Additionally, we will not be offering any custom slots at next week's stocking, nor will we be having custom slot contests on the facebook page until September (with the exception of the photo contest of course!)  There will not be a group custom slot offering in August, but you can expect to see one the first week of September :)  twinkie tush night-nights will also begin stocking in September!

I will write a thorough blog post before the end of the month, detailing the changes we're making!  I want to give you a heads up right away that there will be a slight price increase, based both on our internal changes and on the continually rising cost of materials, most specifically bamboo and cotton.  I have always promised to be open about pricing decisions, and you can rest assured that any price increases are a direct response to a rising cost in materials and/or an increase in production cost and are not executed in order to increase our profit margin.  We only increase prices when we can't absorb those additional costs on our end and sustain the business.

Much more info will of course be forthcoming by the end of the month :)  We are really excited about the changes we're making and the direction we're heading in and we can't thank you enough for your amazing support!  I am grateful every single day for the opportunity to do what I do and I'm looking forward to making more and more twinkie tush diapers for you and your adorable little ones! :)

Happy weekend!  See you all next Tuesday for previews, and don't forget to enter the photo contest if you haven't already!! :)

previews are up on facebook! :)

stocking is tomorrow at 2pm ET!

here's what's coming this week:

we'll have the listings up in a few minutes :)  thanks so much!

2,000 fan facebook fun!

As we are rapidly approaching two thousand fans on facebook, we want to offer something really fun and exciting!  If we reach 2,000 fans by 10pm eastern time on Sunday 8/28, we will open an entry for 24 hours, at the end of which we will draw 12 winners.  The first two winners will each receive a free custom diaper! (with normal 4-6 week turnaround time).  The next 10 names will be put on a mini customs list, securing them a regularly priced custom slot within 3 months.  In other words, I will reach out to each person on the mini customs list within 3 months to take their custom order.  The 10 winners will be spread out over the 3 month period and will be contacted in the order they appear on the list.

Let me know if you have any questions about this!  I hope we get to 2,000 by the 28th - I'd love to give away some diapers and custom slots! :)

our next photo contest begins tomorrow! :)

We will be running another photo contest throughout August!  The past two photo contests have been awesome and we are beyond excited to see what you mamas and daddies send in this time!!  It is so special to us to see twinkie tush diapers in action, to see the amazing cuties who wear them, and to see the creativity and love that you put into photographing them!

Here are the photo contest details:

The contest will be open for submissions from tomorrow, 8/1, through 8/28 - that gives you 4 weeks to snap your pics and get them in to us. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, August 31st, at 10pm EST.  Please read below for important details on how to win.  There will be a first place and two second place winners as follows:

- First place takes home a free custom twinkie tush diaper of their choice (based on availability of desired fabric, and SYOF is an option as well). Shipping of the diaper is also free.

- Second place winners will secure a regularly priced custom slot with free shipping :)

Please note that all of these custom diapers will ship 4-6 weeks after orders are placed.

So here's the process:

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 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 twinkietush@gmail.com. Please type PHOTO CONTEST in the subject field. By submitting a photo you are giving twinkie tush permission to use your photo to promote twinkie tush diapers and/or twinkie tush wool on this blog, the twinkie tush shop on Hyena Cart, and the twinkie tush facebook page.

After emailing your photo to twinkietush@gmail.com you may also upload your photo to our facebook page if you choose. That is totally up to you and is *not* required to be entered in the contest. However, emailing your photo to twinkietush@gmail.com *is* required to be entered.

Submissions will be closed on Sunday 8/28/11 at 11:59pm EST. On Monday 8/29 we will upload all submissions to a photo album on the main twinkie tush facebook page called "August 2011 photo contest!" At that point, the contest really gets exciting!

First place will be awarded to the photo *in the "August 2011 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 8/31.

Second place awards will go to the two photos in the "August 2011 photo contest" album that receive 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 8/31.  

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 one of the 2 "highest likes" photos 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, photo B has 199 likes, and photo C has 198 likes, and we choose photo B as our first place winner, second place awards go to photos A and C.  Please feel free to ask questions about this if it is at all unclear! :)

Please note that you may enter only ONE 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 or web adjusted 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 really excited to see what you all come up with!  Thanks in advance for participating in what we hope will be a fun and fabulous event!! :)

stocking tomorrow - check out previews on facebook! :)

all preview pics are up on the FB page, here!

stocking is as follows tomorrow:

2pm ET
30 ready to ship diapers and 2 custom (diaper) slots

2:15pm ET
3 new ready to ship woolies and 4 semi-custom wool slots
16 new hair clips/headbands from Hello, Charlotte James!

here are a few of my favorites... :)

fabric suggestion time! :)

i will be reopening my fabric suggestion offer for *ONE HOUR*, today from 1-2pm ET. i'll post a thread on facebook at 1pm and if you'd like to suggest a fabric, you can comment (on that thread only) with one link to a fabric you'd like to suggest. please limit it to one :) that means one print - not a link to multiple prints ;)  and please, no collections - be specific to keep it fair.


if you suggest more than one print, only your first suggestion will be "counted." also, this probably goes without saying, if multiple people suggest the same print and i order said print, only the person who suggested it first within the thread will be eligible for this offer.


i will choose at least one fabric to order, and possibly more. if i choose your fabric you will have first dibs on a diaper when i stock it! :)  that means you can choose to purchase a diaper from the batch i make with the fabric - it is not a custom slot wherein you can request specific velour colors or finishing styles.  i will try to announce which fabric(s) i am choosing to order by this evening.


please note that i am especially interested in boyish/GN print suggestions. and please note that any fabrics suggested before or after 1-2pm ET today are not subject to this offer. lastly please note that if i already have the fabric you suggested in stock or on the way, this offer does not apply.


have fun!  i can't wait to see your suggestions! :)

group customs - fine tuning the process

as getting a group custom slot has become more competitive, we are working on finding the best and fairest way to fill each month's slot.  we definitely don't want to create a super stressful environment or encourage anyone to stay up all night waiting for a chance to nab the slot, as they feel responsible not only for their own success but that of up to nine other people.  so next month we may be altering the process a bit, although some key parts will remain the same.  for example next time i will plan to let you know a specific day on which the group custom will be offered so that you can be prepared without having to sacrifice other activities in anticipation of it.

we do not plan to stock the slot in the store, and here is why: for one thing, a store stocking comes down entirely to fast internet connection - something that the regular stockings require and which can be very frustrating for those without lightening speed connection.  with the custom slot contests and group custom slots we aim to offer opportunities to purchase twinkie tush diapers outside of the stocking environment.

in addition, if a person is in multiple groups and secures the custom slot via a stocking rather than via email, they can then choose which group to go with, creating a potential for conflict and hurt feelings.  we have no way of mandating that people only be in one group.  the reason we require every group member to be cced in the initial group custom email is to prevent this very thing, as well as to create a much cleaner and simpler process for us, which helps a great deal with our own efficiency (and means more diapers overall!)

there are benefits and drawbacks to every method and there is no way to ensure a completely smooth and seamless process, but we are working on ways to fine tune this so that it's much more fun than it is stressful! :)

as always, any feedback is appreciated and please feel free to ask questions if you have them!  thank you so much everyone!

here we go! :)

it's time for another group custom!  please see the blog post here for the details and remember that ALL of the criteria listed therein must be present in your original email (including ccing group members) or i will have to go on to the next group email in order to be fair.  also if you have a locked spreadsheet, it is important that you UNlock it so that i can see it in order to secure the spot ;)  if your spreadsheet is not viewable i will have to move on to the next group.

thank you so much and remember - i will try to do one of these every month so if you aren't the first to respond this time please try again in august!


ready, set, go! :)

schedule for the next couple weeks

i wanted to give you all a heads up about the schedule over the next couple of stockings.

this week's stocking will be wednesday 7/13 at 8pm eastern.

next week there will not be a stocking, as i'll be out of town for a few days between now and then.

so after this week's stocking the next stocking will be wednesday 7/27.  time TBD.

also - i will be opening another group custom sometime this week!  make sure to take a moment to familiarize yourselves with the group custom policies here. :)  i'm excited to get started on the next one!  when i'm ready to open the slot i will post about it first here, and then on facebook.  please note that what i am writing now is not me opening another slot, i am just letting you know it's coming and making sure you're prepared! :)  the slot will be opened sometime in the next few days.

i think that's it for now!  i'll see you all tomorrow for previews on the FB page by late afternoon!

it's stocking day! :)

here we go harry potter fans - the day has finally come! :)

 

those are just a few of the 33 ready to ship diapers that will go live at 2pm eastern, along with 2 custom slots.  all listings are up at the store!  you will see 34 diapers listed - one is going to Pami Mahan, the winner of last night's HP trivia contest!!  this is the diaper she chose:

congratulations Pami!!


we will be having a second trivia contest today, and we will be revamping things a bit based on how last night's contest went.  this will be the amended process for today's contest, at 3pm eastern on the FB page:

Seven Rounds for Seven Horcruxes - The Ultimate Battle ;)

Round 1 will consist of 2 questions. Each question will be asked one at a time.  Assuming there are at least 20 correct responses in each case, the first 20 people to get the question right will advance to round 2.  I will "like" the first 20 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.  Once you have advanced, please sit the second question out.

Round 2 will consist of 1 question. Assuming there are at least 20 correct responses, the first 20 people to get the question right will advance to round 3.  I will "like" the first 20 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.

Round 3 will consist of 1 question. Assuming there are at least 10 correct responses, the first 10 people to answer correctly will advance to round 4.  I will "like" the first 10 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.

Round 4 will consist of 1 question. The first 5 people to get it right will advance to round 5.  I will "like" the first 5 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.

Round 5 will consist of 1 question. The first 3 people to get right will advance to round 6.  I will "like" the first 3 correct responses - if I have "liked" your response, you advance.

Round 6 will consist of 2 questions. Each question will be asked one at a time.  The first single player to answer correctly will advance to round 7.  2 players will advance to the 7th and final round.

Round 7, the final horcrux, will be a best of 3 challenge. Each question will be asked one at a time.  The first player to answer two questions correctly will win the battle!! :)


The prize is still a secret, to be opened at the close ;)  The close of stocking that is - I will let you know what the prize is before we start the trivia contest of course!


Please note that Rounds 2-7 are open only to players that have advanced from the previous round.  Any comments from anyone other than those players will be disregarded and possibly deleted.


All rules regarding good sportsmanship will of course still apply, and I hope we have another really fun contest! :)  I'll see you all at 2pm for the stocking and 3pm for trivia! 

Harry Potter week: schedule and trivia contest details!

As promised, this week's stocking will be centered around Harry Potter-esque prints and trivia contests! :)  I have been having an awesome time planning and preparing everything and I can't wait to show you the diapers I'll be stocking in a couple days!!  Here is a look at the schedule:

Tomorrow, Tuesday 7/5: 
Previews on the Facebook page, mid to late afternoon.  Full listings up at the store by end of the night.
Trivia Contest #1 at 8:30pm eastern.  Details below!

Wednesday 7/6: 
Stocking at the store at 2pm eastern
Trivia Contest #2 at 3pm eastern (details below).

I've brought in some really special fabric for this stocking, some of which was very hard to find and quite expensive (but this HP fanatic could not resist it and I am SO excited to be working with it!!)  You will see that cost reflected in some of the prices.  There will be a few prints priced at $40, while most will be at normal price points of $30-$33.  Please let me know if you have any questions about the prices, and rest assured that as always prices have only been adjusted in direct response to the cost of fabrics.  When I post previews tomorrow I'll list prices as well as fabric types.

Now on to the trivia contests! :)

Here are the official rules for the Harry Potter trivia contests which will be held live on the Facebook page Tuesday 7/5 at 8:30 ET and Wednesday 7/6 at 3pm ET (following the 2pm ET stocking). There will be a variety of questions – some are book centered and some are general or movie centered. They will progress from relatively simple to fairly difficult.

For all rounds of the trivia contests, once a player has submitted his or her answer, that is their final answer. In other words you may not delete your original answer or submit multiple comments (answers) for any single question. If you do, only your first comment will be counted.

The process and rules:

Round 1, for Slytherin - Open to everyone and will consist of 10 questions; Multiple players per household are permitted in this round. Each question will be asked one at a time. The first person to correctly answer the question will advance to round 2.  Once a member of a household has advanced, all other members are asked to stop playing the round to keep it fair. That way there will be 10 unique households advancing to round 2.  Once a player advances, we ask that player to sit the rest of the round out.

Round 2, for Ravenclaw – Open only to the 10 players who advanced from round 1.  Any comments from anyone other than these 10 players will be disregarded and possibly deleted.  Round 2 will consist of 5 questions.  Again, each question will be asked one at a time. The first of the 10 participating players to correctly answer the question will advance to round 3.  Once a player advances, we ask that player to sit the rest of the round out.  5 players will advance to round 3.

Round 3, for Hufflepuff – Open only to the 5 players who advanced from round 2.  Any comments from anyone other than these 5 players will be disregarded and possibly deleted. Round 3 will consist of 3 questions. Each question will be asked one at a time. This first of the 5 participating players to correctly answer the question will advance to round 4. Once a player advances, we ask that player to sit the rest of the round out. There will be 3 players advancing to round 4.

Round 4, for Gryffindor – Open only to the 3 players who advanced from round 3. Any comments from anyone other than these 3 players will be disregarded and possibly deleted. Round 4 will consist of 2 questions. Each question will be asked one at a time. This first of the 3 participating players to correctly answer the question will advance to the final duel. Once a player advances, we ask that player to sit the rest of the round out. There will be 2 players advancing to the final duel.

Final Duel, for the House Cup – Open only to the 2 remaining players who advanced from round 4. Any comments from anyone other than these 2 players will be disregarded and possibly deleted. The Final Duel will be a best of 3 challenge. The first person to answer 2 questions correctly will be proclaimed the winner!

The prizes:

Tuesday’s winner will be awarded a prize that we’ve never offered before: the opportunity to purchase any one of the previewed diapers or custom slots before they are available for sale to everyone else. (One total diaper.)  Free shipping will also be included with this purchase :)

Wednsday’s prize will be announced immediately following the stocking, just before the trivia contest begins! ;)

The fine print:

I know this goes without saying, but I want to mention something about good sportsmanship. During this contest, we ask everyone playing to bring an energy in line with the fun and interactive sprit we try to create at twinkie tush. With that in mind, please refrain from negative or unsportsmanlike comments. Any comments we define as negative or unsportsmanlike will be deleted and those making the comments will lose their eligibility to win. We all know the late Albus Dumbledore would frown upon any unruly behavior and so do we ;)

Wherein there is any possibility for interpretation of a correct answer, we will interpret accuracy and deem what constitutes a correct answer. For example – What did Dumbledore anonymously give Harry on his 1^st Christmas at Hogwarts?

Possible correct answers would include:

-          His father’s invisibility cloak

-          The invisibility cloak

-          Invisibility cloak

Based on our interpretation, possible incorrect answers would include:

-          ­A cloak

-          His father’s jacket

-          Cabbage

Please note that by entering the twinkie tush Harry Potter trivia contest, you agree to all above rules and regulations. And most of all agree to have fun! :)


That's everything I think!  And remember, there might be a print or two that will surprise you, so if you don't have the HP love there may still be something for you at this week's stocking, including custom slots of course! ;)


See you tomorrow to kick off the fun with previews!!