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!!