We have just scheduled into our busy diary a monthly Nappuccino for North Herts with our first one scheduled for the beginning of February in Letchworth. I was telling someone about this yesterday and the following ensued. Thought I would share it with you:
'What's a Nappuccino?'
'It's a sort of coffee morning type thing where people come to find out about cloth nappies.'
'What's a cloth nappy - sounds a bit weird to me.'
'Erm... a nappy made from cloth.....'
'That's a bit much isn't it? Surely they cost loads. I get through loads of nappies...'
'Well you only have to buy 20.'
'What.....?' ....... perplexed look ........ 'As in every week?'
'Well no. Ever. You buy 20 and reuse them.'
'Reuse them!!!! How do you do that?'
'Oh you know, by putting them in the washing machine.....'
'And do they actually come out clean?' ..... doubtful look....
'Well I'm on my second child with mine and they do the job with us.'
'And you've only got 20?'
'Well, actually I think 23.'
'That's amazing. So just 23 nappies. And that's it.'
'It's enough for us.'
'And they work?'
'Well.... they catch all the stuff they need to catch.. If you know what I mean ha ha.'
'And they're waterproof?'
'Yep!'
'Oh my god. That is amazing. So I only have to buy 20.'
'That's right.'
'And at a nappy... coffee... thing.... I get to... what? What's a nappuccino again?'
'Well there are a quite a few different ones to choose from so at a nappuccino you get to look at them and ask questions about how to look after them and stuff.'
'But they definitely work.' ....sideways glance to my one-yr-old.....
'They definitely work.'
'Oh. I might come along then. 20 nappies?' *rude enthusiastic words****** That's amazing.'

So come along people! We might surprise you!

The washable nappy world can be so confusing when you step into it! But lucky for you, the NapNap team is here to make everything clear and simple.
So, "le wrap, c'est quoi?"
A wrap is simply the waterproof cover you put around your nappy so it does not leak.
But beware: "all-in-one" nappies do not need a wrap because they are, well, all in one and the wrap is part of the nappy (read a blog about that soon...). So they are relevant for two-part systems. For more on the main types of nappies available go to our washable nappy information page.
So, how many do you need? you do not have to change the wrap every time you change the nappy and it is best not put them in the washing machine too often as it reduces the waterproofing quicker. They can also be rinsed under the tap and left to dry so you could manage with 3 wraps; but at least 5 would make your life easier.
Care: as I said, too much washing reduces the 'waterproof-ness' quicker but having said that, I have some wraps that have been used for 3 children and they are still really good. But do let them dry on a rack; drier is a no-no.
Materials: they are mostly made out of PUL, comfortable, stretchy and breathable. You can also find some made out of wool (100% natural, better for babies with sensitive skins) or fleece (increasingly popular as night-time wrap: I know, you would never have thought so).
Fastenings: either velcro or poppers.
Size: you can find some sized ones but one size are a better value option and you can usually adjust them for a good fit.

Really, the great thing about wraps is that it is a good way to have your baby's bottom in a cute design for less: buy plain nappies and invest in a few really fancy wraps. Below is a selection of what you can get and do not forget that you can use a NapNap Voucher to buy wraps. All these retailers do accept the NapNap Voucher and you can find the complete list here. 

Sale now on at The Really Eco Baby Shop - the eco friendly, green, ethical baby shop and the home of the NapNap Voucher

We like to think of ourselves as pretty green over here at NapNap and Really Eco Baby. Generally speaking I wouldn't have it any other way. A more environmentally friendly lifestyle does bring its just rewards - money saving with nappies, reduced heating bills with solar panels and wood burner, fresh veg. and eggs from the garden etc. However, let me tell you, this is not a smug 'look at me, aren't I the perfect eco-warrior' post; it is quite the opposite. For I confess, I have definitely been committing green thought crime this Christmas and my top two were:
1. Longer showers and lovely baths. Our shower pump broke in December and we had to have baths for about a week. I did try and be frugal with the depth but whoops I did have a couple of deep ones. Admittedly, being 6 months pregnant does make quick, efficient baths pretty tricky... so they did turn into being quite languorous. And there was definitely an un-green demon in me that was just a little bit disappointed when the shower was fixed. Sigh.
2. Not being able to throw anything away. We re-use wrapping paper and I have quite a lot of fun making up quirky packaging solutions. However, we were of course on the receiving end of lots of paper, packages, food etc. Lucky us! I know I shouldn't grumble but I sometimes look at the black bin longingly thinking - can't I just stuff everything in there and forget about it. Naughty I know. It doesn't help that I have a major hoarder as a husband but sometimes I just want to find a big hole and put everything in it. Oh... that's called landfill. Back to the recycling :-)
Does anyone else want to confess? Wash off your green smug and let us know!
Interestingly and I promise truthfully I did not have any thought crime about nappies. I know we bang on about them but I would never swap my washables for anything else. Coming soon to the Potty Papers will be our latest on washing solutions. But just quickly - I have got the nappy wash down to about every 4 days and it is one of the things I do without noticing. I also ended up using a couple of disposables when out on big family trips etc and they do make my one yr old's bottom sore. So no thought crime there!
Sale now on at our online store: Really Eco Baby

What an eventful 2011! I know some of you might be happy to say goodbye to a difficult economic year but I think we can all agree it wasn't dull.
After a lot of planning, NapNap was set up at the beginning of the year. The NapNap Voucher was soon up and running and just as a reminder, it is the only nappy gift voucher allowing parents to choose the cloth nappy of their choice  among  a list of retailers. We kept busy by organising The Little Green Family Show in Letchworth in May and a series of Nappucinos in October. There are now 16 retailers accepting The NapNap Voucher and that has led us to discover that the "cloth nappy world" is steered by passionate and dedicated people. Our new baby was born (along with real ones) The Really Eco Baby Shop and we are proud of all the really ethical, really green, really useful and really beautiful baby gifts that can be added to a NapNap Voucher to offer a real treat to both parents and babies.
But now to 2012.....and we have lots of new year resolutions: have at least as much fun working as last year, organise playtime so our kids can still see each others (after moving on to new schools) and ....change the world..... Well, we might have to review this last one but we want to show that giving a nappy as a present is as cool as giving a teddy or baby towel; way cooler actually, as it is useful and will save parents buckets of money and landfill tons of rubbish. We want to convince parents to think about using cloth nappies as we know they will be surprised by how easy they are to use. We want them to realise how much poo they have in their bins and how many chemicals are on their babies' bottoms. We love cloth nappies and we will talk about it for another 365 days. You have been warned! And happy new year to you all!
*Super Smashing Sale now on at Really Eco Baby*