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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Custom twinkie tush blankets - everything you need to know! :)



We are ready to offer the custom blankets we've talked about!  This blog post will contain all of the info you need to order your custom blankets!

You may order blankets on their own (without diapers) in groups of 3-15 for the time being, on an as available basis.  In the future we will try to open up individual blanket options as well! :)  You may also choose to add blankets (any amount from 1 to 15) to your diaper (Large or Mini!) Group Custom or your twinkie togs group!

We will stock "custom blanket" listings on the store site, under "accessories-blankets".  If you have formed a blanket-only group, simply purchase that listing and email groupcustoms@twinkietush.com with your group spreadsheet (please see below for spreadsheet requirements).  We will then send payment links to other group members, if applicable.  We will plan to re-stock custom blanket listings each week if they sell out in between stockings.

Your blanket-only group order must be communicated to us in the form of a spreadsheet, the same way diaper groups are.  The required information for a blanket-only group is as follows:

1 - Full Member Name
2 - Member Name as it Appears in Paypal
3 - Member Contact Email
4 - Member Paypal Email
5 - Blanket Size preference (28x28", 34x34", 55x55" or 55x80")
6 - Blanket Backing preference (natural OBV, cv, or solid cotton lycra knit)
*Please note that you may express a group color preference for cv and solid cotton lycra knit which we will honor on an as available basis and only if we feel it works with your print.  We reserve the right to choose another color if we feel it is necessary.  All blankets within a group will be made with the same color cv for members that choose cv.  All blankets within a group will be made with the same color solid cotton lycra knit for members that choose that option.

If you are adding custom blankets to your Large or Mini Group Custom diaper order or your twinkie togs custom group, simply add the above columns #5 and 6 to your existing spreadsheet (they will come after all of the normal preference columns in your spreadsheet).

The cost for custom blankets is as follows:
28x28" : $27
34x34" : $34.50
55x55": $59
55x80": $79

The fabric requirements for custom blankets are as follows (MUST be continuous) :
For each 28x28" blanket: 1 yard
For each 34x34" blanket: 1.5 yards
For each 55x55" blanket: 2 yards
For each 55x80" blanket: 2.5 yards
*Fabric must be 56" wide at a minimum.  Please note that fabric width loss on pre-washing here will result in smaller than 55x55" final size if there is excessive fabric shrinkage.  Cotton lycra is one type of fabric that is likely to shrink and a 58"+ starting width is preferred. If your fabric is less than 56" wide your blanket will be less than 55" wide. :)

If you choose to send in your blanket backing fabric as well, the length requirements are identical to the main fabric requirements. :)  If you send in both main and backing fabric pricing is as follows:
28x28" : $21
34x34" : $25.50
55x55": $43
55x80": $58

Yardage for groups should be continuous whenever possible.  All blanket fabric will be pre-washed here at our studio before it is cut.

Now some very important notes about fabric that may be used for blankets:

At this point we are willing to work with most fabrics.  We reserve the right to change that without warning, should we experience problems with any type of fabric.  We highly recommend sending in high quality cotton, cotton lycra, or cotton poly blend knits, or thick poly lycra, poly jersey, minky or velour.  We will also make woven blankets if you choose to send in a woven print.  Please remember that a woven fabric is not "cuddly" the same way a knit fabric is, but that doesn't mean it will make a bad blanket - just different. :)  Woven fabrics are almost always 44-45" in width and would therefore NOT work for the large (55x55") or XL (55x80") blanket size.  You can feel free to ask about other fabrics by emailing us!

Sometimes fabric that is sent in for group orders contains flaws, printing or otherwise.  We always do our best to spot any flaws and cut around them whenever possible.  However, sometimes flaws are missed.  twinkie tush does not take responsibility for fabric flaws on fabric that has been sent in for group custom orders.

Please let us know if you have any questions by commenting here or by emailing info@twinkietush.com or groupcustoms@twinkietush.com.

Thank you so much! We are looking forward to making tons of beautiful blankets for you! <3

Monday, February 3, 2014

Meet our February 2014 Fan of the Month, Julia Willhite! :)

We are so excited to introduce you to our February 2014 Fan of the Month Julia, and her daughter Gretchen! (And no, we didn't just choose Julia as Fan of the Month for her fantastic taste in baby names. ;) )  These beautiful ladies are a long-standing and truly wonderful part of our community!  We have known Julia for years now and always appreciate her warmth, intelligence and sense of humor.  Read on to learn more about her and click here for general info on our Fan of the Month feature, including how to enter to be FotM yourself!  Entries are now open for March! :)



What is your full name?

Julia Willhite

Where are you from? Where do you live now?

Grew up in Lawrence, KS, now live in Kansas City.

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

Gretchen, 18 months old. (And don’t think we JUST chose Julia as our Fan of the Month for her fantastic taste in baby names.)

How/when did you find twinkie tush?

It was actually before we were even pregnant! I hung out on a cloth diapering message board while we were TTC and buzz for TT was brewing. I bought my first TT before we were even pregnant, it was Chance of Rain, still one of my favorites.



What is your favorite twinkie tush print of all time?

Flatline, you might say I'm obsessed. My husband knows it is a "special" diaper that doesn't go in our regular rotation. 

 

Do you have an ultimate ISO print?

Thanks to so many generous TT mamas I've acquired all the girly prints I've wanted. Now if I have a boy someday I will have a whole new list of ISOs, Track and Field being at the top of that list. 



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

Not sure if this counts as a hobby but I love trying new restaurants with my husband or with friends. Brunch, happy hour, dinner, I am game!

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

Connecting with and helping others, which I get to do through my job as a social worker. Self care for me usually means getting out and being by myself. Maybe a walk through Target, a pedicure, eating lunch by myself at a restaurant. Just having some time where I'm responsible for no one but myself so I can refocus and then come back refreshed.

What is your favorite activity to do with little Gretchen?

Getting out and exploring places like the zoo, children's museum, a local park. As she gets older and more verbal it is so much fun to watch her interact with her surroundings.

What is/was your favorite place to visit?

We honeymooned in Maine and it was amazing. I hope we can go back for our 10th anniversary in 2016!

What is your favorite book? What about your favorite movie?

I don't really have one particular favorite book. My guilty pleasure reads are anything by Beverly Lewis about the Amish and any book written about the FLDS. I also love YA lit and memoirs. Favorite movie is hands down Mean Girls.

What is something surprising about you, that people might not guess upon meeting you?

I just watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation" for the first time in 2013. So maybe I grew up sheltered!

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

Family! I love that TT is a family run business and that a sense of family has been fostered among TT fans. TT also brings our family together in small ways. As I write this right now my husband and my toddler are folding diaper laundry. She pulls the TT soakers out of the basket and hands them to him and he matches them up with the diaper shells. Then she puts the finished diapers back in the basket. Over the last couple of years I've gotten to know many other TT mamas really well, it does feel like we are one big family.

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

You are missing out. Also, you can't stop at just one, so brace yourself!

Tell us your funniest cloth-diapering or parenting story!

It's hard to think of one specific story but my daughter is currently digging through her basket of twinkie tushes and talking and singing to them. She just carried on a long conversation with the whales on Big Sally, in secret toddler language of course.

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

My daughter was born at 35 weeks and was a very small and very sleepy baby. I got a ton of support from my TT mom friends including some mamas sending me preemie sized cloth diapers since my daughter was too small for newborn sized diapers for the first few weeks. I also got tons of support and great advice when we dealt with breastfeeding issues. The first few weeks of motherhood were so hard, but the amazing support from my husband and all of my precious online friends actually makes me look back on that time fondly. I had never felt so supported and now I feel empowered to support other new moms struggling as we did.


 
Gretchen in Flatline <3

Many thanks to Julia!  We are honored to have you as our Fan of the Month! :)

Sunday, February 2, 2014

February 2014 Photo Contest!

Here are the details for the February 2014 Photo Contest, and can I just say we are SO excited for this one?? :)

The contest will be open for submissions from today, 2/2, through Sunday 2/23.  That gives you just 3 weeks to get your entries in, so don’t delay!  :)  The winners will be announced on Wednesday, February 26th, 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 March 2014.  (Please note that occasionally there is a print offered that is not able to be claimed by a dibs pass.)  More infoabout Dibs Passes here.

- Second place winner will receive a standard Dibs Pass which will allow them to select a single diaper to purchase at regular price on any one preview day in March 2014 without having to attend the stocking.  (Please note that occasionally there is a print offered that is not able to be claimed by a dibs pass.)  In addition, the second place winner will receive a twinkie tush accessory prize pack, featuring a replacement soaker in their choice of style and cv color (or natural OBV) and a set of 6 twinkie tush wipes!

- 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 will be valid on any one preview day in March 2014.)


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. twinkie tush blankets, hair clips and headbands by Hello Charlotte James for twinkie tush and/or twinkie tush collabs with Happy Hippo Knits or others we have collaborated with are of course welcome to be part of the photos, however a twinkie tush diaper 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 - 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 other twinkie tush products 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 2/23/14 at 11:59pm EST. On Monday 2/24 we will upload all submissions to a photo album on the main twinkie tush facebook page called "February 2014 photo contest!" At that point, the contest really gets exciting!

First place will be awarded to the photo *in the " February 2014 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, February 26th.

Second place will go to the photo in the " February 2014 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, 2/26.

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 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 info and links:


Past photo contest albums on facebook: